View Full Version : Are alcohol and tobacco more harmful than illegal drugs?
boro_boy
24-03-2007, 14:17
Alcohol and tobacco are more damaging than Ecstasy and Cannabis, according to scientists.
A new study rates drugs on the harm they do the individual, to society, and whether they induce dependence.
Ecstasy, Cannabis and LSD are all ranked as less harmful than alcohol and tobacco.
The report says current drug classifications are 'not fit for purpose' and should be scrapped.
Do you agree with the report's findings? How damaging are tobacco and alcohol? Should the classification system be changed?
Middlesbrough No1 Fan
24-03-2007, 16:36
A agree with tobacco, i dont give a shite whether achohol does, i aint going to stop
I don't think alcohol is. Tobacco maybe as you know would be obv. If they more harmful then why are the illegal drugs illegal but the more harmful ones not illegal?
Simonutd
24-03-2007, 18:02
tobacco is very bad, but alcohol is good for you in small doses too much is bad
It depends on how one goes about using the drug. If you abuse them, then obviously they all have there effects and harm people worse than others.
They keep drugs like cannabis and ecstasy illiegal because they can have an immediate effect on you e.g cannabis slows your awareness and can lead to hallucination.
I voted yes simply because tobacco (well nicotine) is very addictive and slowly causes harm on the user.
superally
24-03-2007, 20:16
Alcohol and tobacco are more damaging than Ecstasy and Cannabis, according to scientists.
A new study rates drugs on the harm they do the individual, to society, and whether they induce dependence.
Ecstasy, Cannabis and LSD are all ranked as less harmful than alcohol and tobacco.
The report says current drug classifications are 'not fit for purpose' and should be scrapped.
Do you agree with the report's findings? How damaging are tobacco and alcohol? Should the classification system be changed?
Biggest load of shite ive ever read.
ninjaterra
24-03-2007, 20:45
they're only harmful because they're used/taken/drunk on regular occasions.
legalise drugs and they'll become a lot more harmful then they allready are..
alcohol isn't as bad as tobbaco as it doesnt harm the environment around it (allthough you could argue damage is done from drunks..but still, it doesnt give out anyway near the amount of harm that tobacco does..)
it's not so much drugs being harmful to oneself but drugs being dangerous. e.g. a drug is harmful as there is a possibilty of developing cancer... a drug is dangerous as it could make a dude hullicinate next to a cupboard full of knives at a childrens party...which could be the difference in said drugs being legalised or not.
boro_boy
24-03-2007, 20:51
they're only harmful because they're used/taken/drunk on regular occasions.
legalise drugs and they'll become a lot more harmful then they allready are..
alcohol isn't as bad as tobbaco as it doesnt harm the environment around it (allthough you could argue damage is done from drunks..but still, it doesnt give out anyway near the amount of harm that tobacco does..)
it's not so much drugs being harmful to oneself but drugs being dangerous. e.g. a drug is harmful as there is a possibilty of developing cancer... a drug is dangerous as it could make a dude hullicinate next to a cupboard full of knives at a childrens party...which could be the difference in said drugs being legalised or not.
Alcohol, its not so much bad for you, its the stuff you do when drunk thats bad. Like fighting, gettin run over. You could say its the side effects that are bad.
Its ok when you drink it responsibly.
of course they are. It would would be ludicrous to say they aren't. How many deaths did ecstasy or cannabis cause last year? And how many were caused because of alcohol and cigarettes? I'm gonna find out although I know what will be more.
Tobacco
It is estimated that each year in the UK around 114,000 people die from tobacco-related diseases, particularly from cancer, respiratory diseases and heart disease. [1] (http://www.drugscope.org.uk/druginfo/drugsearch/ds_results.asp?file=%5Cwip%5C11%5C1%5C1%5Cdeaths.h tml#one)
Alcohol
Estimates of annual alcohol-related deaths in England and Wales vary from 5,000 to 40,000. This includes deaths from cirrhosis of the liver and other health problems from long-term drinking, deliberate and accidental overdose, traffic deaths, fatal accidents while drunk etc.
Ecstasy
Deaths associated with different illegal drugs are also difficult to judge accurately. One exception is ecstasy with over 250 ecstasy-related deaths being reported between 1999 and 2004.
Table 1 Drug-related deaths in England and Wales 2000 to 2004[4] (http://www.drugscope.org.uk/druginfo/drugsearch/ds_results.asp?file=%5Cwip%5C11%5C1%5C1%5Cdeaths.h tml#four)
Cocaine 575 Amphetamine 384 Ecstasy 227 Solvents 246[3] (http://www.drugscope.org.uk/druginfo/drugsearch/ds_results.asp?file=%5Cwip%5C11%5C1%5C1%5Cdeaths.h tml#three) Opiates (heroin, morphine & methadone) 4,976 Alcohol 25,000 - 200,000 approx. Tobacco half a million approx (UK - [1] (http://www.drugscope.org.uk/druginfo/drugsearch/ds_results.asp?file=%5Cwip%5C11%5C1%5C1%5Cdeaths.h tml#one) )
Table 2
Number of deaths England and Wales in 2003 and 2004 (substance is mentioned on the death certificate) [4] (http://www.drugscope.org.uk/druginfo/drugsearch/ds_results.asp?file=%5Cwip%5C11%5C1%5C1%5Cdeaths.h tml#four)
2003
2004
Cocaine 113
147
All Amphetamines 66
83
Ecstasy 33
48
Solvents 42 [3] (http://www.drugscope.org.uk/druginfo/drugsearch/ds_results.asp?file=%5Cwip%5C11%5C1%5C1%5Cdeaths.h tml#three)
45 [3] (http://www.drugscope.org.uk/druginfo/drugsearch/ds_results.asp?file=%5Cwip%5C11%5C1%5C1%5Cdeaths.h tml#three)
Opiates (heroin, morphine & methadone) 766
944
Cannabis 11
16
All deaths 2445
2598
you joking right?.....Illegal drugs KILL you for short life!!:nod:
the stats are there mate. In 2003 and 2004 there was just over 5000 drug related deaths.
In one year there is upto 150,000 deaths from smoking and alcohol.
FourOneFourOne
24-03-2007, 23:03
the stats are there mate. In 2003 and 2004 there was just over 5000 drug related deaths.
In one year there is upto 150,000 deaths from smoking and alcohol.
But a lot more people smoke and drink than take drugs.
you would be surprised at how many people actually take drugs nowadays.
The UK has the highest drug user base in the whole of europe at the minute by a very large margin.
FourOneFourOne
24-03-2007, 23:09
Most of the alcohol and tobacco deaths will be of people who've used them for a long time, we'll only see the same effects from drug users when they get older.
A lot of the deaths caused from smoking weed will just go down as tobacco-related anyway.
Number of drug users among 16 to 59 year-olds in England and Wales, 2005/06 (British Crime Survey) 11,075,000 (34.9%)
pretty high number.
Drugs tend to affect peoples mental health rather than physical.
superally
25-03-2007, 07:15
What about crime!! How much of it is illegal drug related?? a fair percentage,and for every crime there is a victim.
malcolmx
25-03-2007, 08:27
I say Booze and Tobacco kills you slowly, and Drugs kill you instantly, and Tobacco leaves an alarming effect on your body.
Alcohol and tobacco are more damaging than Ecstasy and Cannabis, according to scientists.
A new study rates drugs on the harm they do the individual, to society, and whether they induce dependence.
Ecstasy, Cannabis and LSD are all ranked as less harmful than alcohol and tobacco.
The report says current drug classifications are 'not fit for purpose' and should be scrapped.
Do you agree with the report's findings? How damaging are tobacco and alcohol? Should the classification system be changed?tell that to the arseho'les that think they can fly and jump off high things ,i laugh like fu'ck they make some fu'cking mess don't they so i would say feed the fu'ckers as much drugs as they want helps weed (pun) the scum out ,only good druggie is a boxed one scum of the earth
hailhail7
27-03-2007, 11:37
If the report is about collective damage done that is cost to the NHS and numbers affected and killed over a period of time then this report could have a point. Alcohol and tobacco have massive effects compared to Ecstasy which is used by far less people.
Tobacco is going to do damage to everyone who takes it because you take it on a regular basis, most people do anyway. Alcohol is not bad if you have it in moderation, in fact some people believe a glass of red wine everyday is good for you, but can obviously kill you if you over do it.
I personally think the drinking age, at least for spirits, should be 21, and it should be like in the US where you can actually get a jail sentence for drinking underage. I don't really want this to happen as I'm only 18, but there are so many more drink related problems over here than there are in the US.
As for illegal drugs, I think alcohol can in some cases be more damaging than weed, but otherwise I don't think it is more damaging than other illegal drugs. That said it might not be a bad idea to legalise all class B and C drugs, just to make it easier for them to control
wednesday4life
27-03-2007, 13:50
I don't think alcohol is. Tobacco maybe as you know would be obv. If they more harmful then why are the illegal drugs illegal but the more harmful ones not illegal?
cannabis is illegal because of cotton farmers in the past who saw hemp as a rival to there trade and didn't want the hassle. that is the sole reason it is illegal
as for them being safer, weed definitely is (especially if you pack it out instead of adding tobacco) ecstasy probably is, but i don't know how lsd is below them- i'm sure i heard somewhere that lsd is in your system for 30 years and causes flashbacks for the rest of your life
bigmatelotdaz
03-04-2007, 20:57
The medical effects are well known in both instances but it is the mental health problems of drugs that is yet to be fully known.
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