2008 Woodie Awards
New list of worst drugs challenges current enforcement policy
Reid Cranfill
Issue date: 4/6/07 Section: Forum
An official study has re-ranked the illegal drugs in Britain, and it actually shows alcohol and tobacco to be more dangerous than marijuana or ecstasy.
The ill-named Dr. Nutt of the U.K. Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has ranked the worst drugs in Britain based on the drug's damage to the user, potential for addiction and damage to society. Nutt's widely renowned team of experts found British drug policy way out of sync with the actual damage done by each drug.
Heroin, cocaine, barbiturates and street methadone topped the list, with alcohol coming in fifth and tobacco ninth. Marijuana came in eleventh, and ecstasy was near the bottom of the list.
This disagrees with current drug policy in the U.S.A. and U.K., but, given the parameters of the study, the results make sense. Alcohol is used by far more people than ecstasy, and tobacco-related illness accounts for an estimated 40 percent of visits to English hospitals.
Tobacco and alcohol also have multibillion-dollar corporations with legal chains of distribution, lawyers, lobbyists and advertising backing up their addictive products, whereas the average crack dealer likely doesn't even vote.
But it could be dangerous to apply this data to North Carolina, so don't go buying a "Legalize it" T-shirt just yet. "Danger to society" is a key factor in this ranking; the danger to your health remains the same as before. For a drug to be dangerous to society, society has to use it, and drug culture changes by the county, let alone the country. Applying the culture of North Carolina to Dr. Nutt's study would dramatically change the results.
Alcohol and tobacco might be more of a threat on Tobacco Road, in a state with such a huge illegal liquor market that the act of running moonshine in a souped-up Dodge has become a professional sport (it's called NASCAR). Barbiturates seem to have gone out with Elvis and LSD around here and are less a threat along with methadone.
While meth isn't topping the list in England, it damn well is here. North Carolina's crystal methamphetamine problem has gotten so bad that pharmacists are required to give the name and dosage of anyone buying the meth ingredient, Sudafed, to the SBI.
The ill-named Dr. Nutt of the U.K. Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has ranked the worst drugs in Britain based on the drug's damage to the user, potential for addiction and damage to society. Nutt's widely renowned team of experts found British drug policy way out of sync with the actual damage done by each drug.
Heroin, cocaine, barbiturates and street methadone topped the list, with alcohol coming in fifth and tobacco ninth. Marijuana came in eleventh, and ecstasy was near the bottom of the list.
This disagrees with current drug policy in the U.S.A. and U.K., but, given the parameters of the study, the results make sense. Alcohol is used by far more people than ecstasy, and tobacco-related illness accounts for an estimated 40 percent of visits to English hospitals.
Tobacco and alcohol also have multibillion-dollar corporations with legal chains of distribution, lawyers, lobbyists and advertising backing up their addictive products, whereas the average crack dealer likely doesn't even vote.
But it could be dangerous to apply this data to North Carolina, so don't go buying a "Legalize it" T-shirt just yet. "Danger to society" is a key factor in this ranking; the danger to your health remains the same as before. For a drug to be dangerous to society, society has to use it, and drug culture changes by the county, let alone the country. Applying the culture of North Carolina to Dr. Nutt's study would dramatically change the results.
Alcohol and tobacco might be more of a threat on Tobacco Road, in a state with such a huge illegal liquor market that the act of running moonshine in a souped-up Dodge has become a professional sport (it's called NASCAR). Barbiturates seem to have gone out with Elvis and LSD around here and are less a threat along with methadone.
While meth isn't topping the list in England, it damn well is here. North Carolina's crystal methamphetamine problem has gotten so bad that pharmacists are required to give the name and dosage of anyone buying the meth ingredient, Sudafed, to the SBI.
Viewing Comments 1 - 7 of 7
Dr Jonasson
Dr Ulf Jonasson
posted 7/19/08 @ 6:08 AM EST
Dear Sir,
I hereby send you some information about som drugs, the painkiller containg the substance PRopoxyphene - the brab d are Darvon, Darvocet, Distalgesic and Co-Proxamol. (Continued…)
Drug Rehabilitation
posted 9/03/08 @ 8:58 AM EST
The real danger of drugs lies in the perception we have about them: alcohol and tobacco are real common "acceptable " drugs and this is what makes them most dangerous. (Continued…)
Losing Weight
posted 9/07/08 @ 5:07 AM EST
There is a big industry behind the legal drugs alcohol and tobacco. With tobacco, the minimum age to use it is 16 and with alcohol, it is 21. But a group of 100 college professors are trying to lower that age to 18. (Continued…)
pain pill abuse
posted 9/25/08 @ 7:12 PM EST
Great article, and great info in the comment. Abuse of painkillers is a more widespread problem than I think most people realize
wes
posted 10/01/08 @ 12:15 AM EST
Anyone had their sip of caffeine today?
Corn nutz
posted 11/17/08 @ 9:42 AM EST
bla bla bla this is all bull. there is no way this is true it is all LIES.
Scarface
posted 11/17/08 @ 9:43 AM EST
Drugs are so cool! Just the other night i had some! yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa toast!!!!!!!!!!!
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