Alcohol more dangerous than heroin

The British Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs has concluded in a study published in the medical journal The Lancet that alcohol is more dangerous than crack or heroin. The conservative daily Irish Examiner warns that this finding should be taken seriously: "The British report suggests that the emphasis on the dangers of alcohol 'is a valid and necessary public health strategy'. People need to recognise that alcohol is a lethal drug. In an effort to guide policy makers, the study adopted a multi-criteria approach analysing the harm of various drugs to users, their loved ones, and society in general. Using this approach the scientists found that alcohol was more harmful than heroin, or crack cocaine, and more than three times more harmful than cannabis. ... Society needs to recognise the specific dangers of the different drugs and deal with the issues in a determined and rational way."

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