Who is more harmful to society; an alcoholic or a smoker?

Question

Who costs society more in money,energy, and pain?
Please be descriptive.

Answer 1

If they are a alcholic and not a drinker that is the more costly. They may cause car accidents costing police to look out for them as well as court costs for processing them. Lots of health costs for liver disease and others. If they are pregnant and drink that just continues the problems and cost for another person (and ruins their life for pretty much good.

As for smokers. Police do need to look out for them just underage smokers. They have lung and some other problems and cancer but I've never seen real studies that show that second hand smoke is anything but a nuisance. A pregnant smoker can cause problesm for her kid like underweight birth and such but nothing like a drinker would.

Answer 2

I would say an alcoholic, because a smoker can get behind the wheel and drive home; a smoker cannot smoke in public places, while drinking is a social activity; a smoker bothers your allergies, an alcoholic hurts your feelings; I'm not sure what it costs to buy packs of cigarettes versus alcohol but I would think the alcohol is a lot more expensive; alcohol just lowers your inhibitions overall- who can honestly say they are the product of a good smoke?

Answer 3

I would have to say an Alcoholic. You never hear of a smoker smoking too many cigarettes, driving eratically and slamming into a car killing an entire family.

Answer 4

Depends on if you are in the same room with them, or on the same road with them.

Smoker in the former, alcoholic in the latter.

As far as which costs more, don't know. I have not read a study on it. They are both pretty expensive items.

Smokers can kill you with their habit. It just takes a whole lot longer than a drunk driver.

Answer 5

alcohol because people get in cars and kill people, beat there family and stuff like that. a smoker can go outside so no one else has to breath the second hand smoke and it dose not impair judgment so they can still drive and interact with people with out getting stupid

Answer 6

I would have to say the alcoholic. They get behond the wheel of a car and take innocentl lives. Then it costs everybody more in insurance premiums as well.

Answer 7

I think they are pretty even. The smoker kills non-smokers with the second hand smoke. The drinker kills people with their drunk driving. So really tough to choose.

Answer 8

I've never seen a cigarette kill people in cars, or walking across the road or children playing and the car jumps the curb.
Seen lots of drunks do it though.

Answer 9

I think it might be pretty close, but I feel that smoking might have the lead, because of second hand smoke.

Answer 10

smoker cause of second hand smoke. i h8 smokers but i looooove beer