David Nutt: Alcohol More Dangerous Than Crack

(iStockphoto)

(CBS/AP) What's worse for us, alcohol or crack cocaine? Careful - this isn't a no-brainer.

A new study says alcohol is more destructive than illegal drugs like heroin and crack.

British scientists, lead by Dr. David Nutt at the University of Bristol, evaluated these three drugs, as well as ecstasy and marijuana (20 drugs in all), ranking each of them on the following criteria: physical harm to the user, how addictive it is, and the effect of its use on families, communities, and society.

They included economic costs like health care, social services, and prison.

Heroin, crack and crystal meth are deadliest to the individual user, the study showed, but when their wider social effects are taken into account, alcohol is the most damaging, followed by heroin and crack.

Experts said alcohol scored so high because it's so widely used and has devastating consequences not only for drinkers but for those around them. Excessive drinking damages nearly all organ systems, and is also connected to higher death rates. It's also involved in a greater percentage of crime than most other drugs, including heroin.

Marijuana, ecstasy and LSD scored far lower, according to the study, published in the "The Lancet."

Experts said the study should prompt countries to reconsider how they classify drugs. Last year, Britain increased its penalties for the possession of marijuana.

Some experts were critical of that decision, including Dr. Nutt. He was fired from his position as the U.K. chief drugs adviser soon after.

"What governments decide is illegal is not always based on science," says Leslie King, an adviser to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and one of the study's authors. "Drugs that are legal cause at least as much damage, if not more, than drugs that are illicit." 

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[adfsarahjkl]

I haven't read everyones comments so maybe it's already been stated, but this article isn't right. David Nutt published something saying ecstasy was less harmful than alcohol but cocaine (including crack cocaine) he states as the second most harmful drug (heroin being the first).

http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/opus1714/Estimating_drug_harms.pdf

his actual publication. I have no idea where the author even came up with this idea.

[climbmadly]

Firstly Dr Nutt did not conclude they were more harmful, it was the views of a number of intermodule experts; secondly, the author here says that they are more physically harmful than alcohol but when you take into account the effects on society and family the story changes. If you are going to criticise then get your facts strait first.

[formrusmcsgt]

Some rationlize marijuana being illegal and alcohol being legal. Look at the downtown area of any city of size and you'll find people living in cardboard boxes dedicating their lives to nothing more than booze. Not so with marijuana. Which is the more harmful drug to society? Anyone with their eyes open can answer that question easily.

[krisd999-2009]

Lots of Hollywood celebs have died from prescription drugs, I haven't heard of any dying from cocain..and no one has ever died from marijuana vs. half a million a year from cigarettes. Now what..ban all alcohol and cigarettes? Throw anyone caught possesing them in prison? SWAT raids of all homes..you know there is alcohol virtually in every house along with small children having access. We do that for other virtually harmless substances!

[amerilatino]

Now I get where some people here get their underexerted, overqualified intellectual inanity from. their BRITISH ANCESTRY.

[PETE1729]

We're talking about one of the most respected journals in the field. I take it you prefer the New England Journal Of Medicine.

[ghostofandy]

So...the headline is a total lie just to get us to read the article. You win this one CBS News. Although it does inch me closer to CNN.com, news.yahoo.com, nytimes.com, or one of a billion other online news sources.

[apuan777]

Cell phones are more dangerous than marijuana!

[g_tom]

rubber bands and staplers are more dangerous than marijuana!

[spaceatoms]

Its a ridiculous article. Alcohol has a wider base; therefore, it would have a higher incident rate, but Ecstasy or LSD, again ridiculous.

[Foxfire55]

If you drink to excess and/or do drugs I hope you die of your own volition and no one else has to suffer. Unfortunately, there are the families at the very least who suffer so I don't care which one is worse, they all do damage. I'm just at a point where if you want to make excuses about how none of it is really that bad you are worthless and need to be gone from this earth. I see no point in wasting the gas in ambulances on your dumb butt.

[g_tom]

i see no point in wasting air for people like you to breathe!

[bradyleeclinton]

The first line says " Careful fulll this isn't a no brainer." That is way wrong. This is an easy no brainer. How many people get caught and arrested DWC "Driving while crackhead". I have never heard of anyone driving and killing anybody after smoking crack, and how many familys have been ruined by alcohol. What type of disease to crackheads get? What type of disease do alchoholics get besides liver disease. Even though crack is better for you then alcohol please don't start.

[apprxam]

Yeah, right.