David Nutt study says Alcohol is more harmful than heroin or crack

Alcohol is more harmful than heroin or crack. A new study says that if drugs were classified in terms of harm they do, alcohol would be class A, alongside heroin and crack cocaine.

After examining 20 drugs, looking at how addictive the drugs are, how they harm the human body both physically and mentally, and the societal impact they have, a team of researchers determined that alcohol was the most dangerous substance overall. Heroin and crack cocaine rank as the second and third most harmful drugs.

Alcohol scored 72 overall, compared to 55 for heroin and 54 for crack. Other drugs examined included: methamphetamine (crystal meth) (33), cocaine (27), tobacco (26), amphetamine/speed (23), cannabis (20), GHB (18), ketamine (15), methadone (13), ecstasy (9), anabolic steroids (9), LSD (7), buprenorphine (6) and magic mushrooms (5).

Heroin, crack cocaine and crystal meth, were found to be the most deadly. But when the wider social effects were factored in, alcohol was the most dangerous, the researchers noted. Alcohol is associated to an increased death rates and is involved in a larger percentage of crime than most other drugs.

The study was led by Professor Nutt, of Imperial College London, and the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs, Dr Leslie King, UK Expert Adviser to the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction, and Dr Lawrence Phillips, London School of Economics and Political Science.