do you think alcohol and cigarettes are worse for society than pot and extacy?

Question

I'd liek everyone's opinion of this article I read today..
Alcohol and tobacco more dangerous than illegal drugs, study
shows

A professor 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.

Nutt and colleagues used three factors to determine the harm associated with any drug: the physical harm to the user, the drug's potential for addiction, and the impact on society of drug use.

The researchers asked two groups of experts - psychiatrists specializing in addiction and legal or police officials with scientific or medical expertise - to assign scores to 20 different drugs, including heroin, cocaine, Ecstasy, amphetamines, and LSD.

Heroin and cocaine were ranked most dangerous, followed by barbiturates and street methadone. Alcohol was the fifth-most harmful drug and tobacco the ninth most harmful. Cannabis came in 11th, and near the bottom of the list was Ecstasy.

this is website where you can read the whole article.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/070323/health/health_britain_illegal_drugs
I'd liek to add that i presently take a little of all of the above and smoke daily.. have done so for many years, have a good job, finished high school with good grades even did some cegep until i got the job i have now. I'm still as sharp as my second day of school ( we're never at our best on the first day) my memory has not faltered nor has my brain turned to slush

Now of all of these things its the effects of tobacco that i feel.. nothing else. just food for thought

Answer 1

I have a lot of experience with drugs; I've used myself and seen drug use/addiction among acquaintances. Heroin, crack cocaine, oxycotin, methadone, ketamine (aka Special K) and methamphetamine are highly addictive, dangerous drugs. LSD is not addictive but judgement is impaired and with frequent use it is detrimental to brain function. Alcohol is a danger, much more so than marijuana... due to impaired judgement. Ecstacy is not easily addictive, users do not become violent but judgement is impaired.

All drugs pose a threat in one way or another. Marijuana, I believe, is the least harmful... unless you count lack of energy!

Answer 2

I think that those numbers are skewed, there are many more users of alcohol and tobacco, than there are users of the other drugs. There is less data on the effects of use of those other drugs. What I mean is, that there aren't as many users of alcohol and tobacco in prison for committing crimes, etc. by percentage when compared to the users of any of those other drugs.
Also, Marijuana is a gateway drug to the rest of the others, and its effects in that regard wouldn't be considered in that type of study. Ecstasy, as consumed by most users, lowers ones inhibitions, and opens up the possibility of that person being victimized by suggestion. If the drug were used to compel someone to do something that they would not do in their sober state, that also would not be considered in that study.
Alcohol and Tobacco have a long and well-recorded history. These substances have been used for thousands of years, and the results of their use are well documented. The other drugs, have only been around fro a short while.
These types of studies are usually based on junk research, like Global Warming, which still has no evidence that it exists, except that Al Gore says it does.

Answer 3

I agree with first two factors:the physical harm to the user and the drug's potential for addiction but not so with the impact on society in negative way.
What I'm saying is in which aspect that cigarette can harm the society? it even can support the economy of some countries.
Ecstasy and cannabis? the CAN change the performance of one generation and that for sure.
I don't smoke, but I can assure that among people I see, cigarette doesn't change someone but Ecstasy and cannabis does. Direct or indirectly.
Understood that the prof didn't say that Ecstasy or else is not dangerous, he just shows the statistic result of his research. But put the tobacco more harmful to society somehow can miss lead the Young's.

Answer 4

I totally disagree with the Ecstasy part. I have a daughter who was using it in school and we had no clue. That was 7 years ago and she developed some mental problems from it. The counselors and psychiatrists told us that it was from the Ecstasy and the long term effects are far reaching. She now has 2 children that her father and I are raising because she cannot hold down a job and she cannot get along with others, She was on many medications after the problem was found and we watched her like a hawk. When she turned 18 she stopped taking her meds and left the house. We are raising two toddlers that she gave birth to since leaving home. All because she was using Ecstasy at the age of 14 while she was at school.

Answer 5

Why alter reality in the first place?
I'm no tea-totaler, but I'm not a guzzler either!
Cigarettes are awful smelling and make the smoker stink and damage the taste buds . . and that is just a minor inconvenience compared to cancers of the mouth, jaw,
lungs. And what about Emphysema? Really a Breathless way to risk when "GOING!" Seen it myself!

As far as Ecstasy, LSD, Cocaine,Heroin, Opium, Meth-amphetamine, street Methadone, Crystal meth and Who knows what else, their temporary high, an insubstantial escape from reality, seems to result in habit-forming.
REALITY, is DIFFICULT enough to handle, why dull the senses, for a 50 cent cheap carnival ride which MAY very well, make you a permanent fixture at the Carnival?

I'd rather not dull my senses, hone them instead by facing the every day whether it is awful or just dandy, or inconsequential . . . you never know when you'll be called upon to put all of your senses into a direly needed focus!
Grace.

Answer 6

Not too surprised ! Pot is a Natural Herb. If i could smoke Pot legally , I would never touch another Cig or Booze again.

With E being on the bottom of the list ..that surprise me .. cause some of the stuff in E , when you dont get a 100% MDMA pill , The Pill is usually Mixed with all the Top Drugs Listed (coke, Heroin, etc.) !!

Answer 7

In my experience: no friggin way! I've known people whose minds have been melted, for lack of a better term, from Ex. I can understand pot being less harmful though, in fact it's probably the least harmful, most natural recreational substance on the planet.

Answer 8

Certainly, I had seen people in much poor condition just because of this alcohol addiction.

Answer 9

I think that ciggerettes are the worse becuase they ar epumped full of tar and horrible chemicals compared to shrooms or pot becuase they are all natural compare dto smokes. but extecy and pill I am not so sure about. they seems to be worse then anyhting (pills I mean) becuase they really really mess u up

Answer 10

I don't know much about ecstacy, but I definitely believe that alcohol impairs judgment much worse than marijuana. I also don't think that smoking pot is any worse for your health than smoking cigarettes, especially since cigarette smokers smoke so many more per day.