|
medpundit |
||
 |
 |
|
Saturday, March 24, 2007Alcohol and tobacco are more dangerous than illegal drugs like marijuana or ecstasy, according to a new British study. In research published Friday in The Lancet magazine, Professor David Nutt of Britain's Bristol University and colleagues proposed a new framework for the classification of harmful substances, based on the actual risks posed to society. Their ranking listed alcohol and tobacco among the top 10 most dangerous substances. The study ranked drugs based on their potential for physical and social harm. Drugs were most dangerous if they could cause immediate death (cocaine, heroine) and more socially problematic if they caused dependence and long term healthcare costs. However, the authors say it's a mistake to assume that marijuana and ecstasy are safer than alcohol and tobacco: Tobacco and alcohol were included because their extensive use has provided reliable data on their risks and harms, providing familiar benchmarks against which the absolute harms of other drugs can be judged. However, direct comparison of the scores for tobacco and alcohol with those of the other drugs is not possible since the fact that they are legal could affect their harms in various ways, especially through easier availability. Well, that's a relief, because I would much rather have a glass of beer with my hamburger than a toke of a joint or hit of ecstasy. posted by Sydney on 3/24/2007 07:35:00 PM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
|
