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Alcohol Causes More Harm Than Heroin - Merry Christmas?

By Ian Brockwell  

It may come as a surprise to many, but according to a recent study that was published in the medical journal The Lancet, alcohol causes more widespread harm than drugs like: Heroin, crack cocaine, ecstasy and LSD.

Whilst it may seem hard to believe that a few beers could be considered more dangerous than heroin, it should be pointed out that the evaluation took into account the crime and costs to the community, as well as the mental and physical damage to users.

In the study, alcohol was rated as three times as harmful as cocaine or tobacco, and eight times more harmful than ecstasy.

Professor David Nutt led the study and was sacked a year ago from his post of drugs advisor to the government. He lost his position after criticizing government ministers who wanted to upgrade cannabis from a class C to class B drug. Professor Nutt was quoted as saying "you are more likely to die riding a horse than you are by taking cannabis or ecstasy".

Most people believe that cannabis is less harmful to the body than alcohol and less addictive than tobacco. There is a popular belief that cannabis users will be tempted into taking harder drugs later, and whilst this might be true in some cases, the general opinion is that the majority do not follow that path. You could also say that some "social drinkers" increase their intake and could eventually end up as alcoholics.

Alcohol certainly causes more harm to the community (at least in Britain) than some of the other drugs mentioned, as I'm sure any police force in the country will confirm on a Friday or Saturday night. Hundreds are usually arrested every weekend for fighting and anti-social behaviour.

More accidents in cars are caused by excess alcohol than those smoking cannabis, but as we saw from the accident involving George Michael recently, tests should be introduced to monitor this area as well.

In an ideal world it would be nice if people could avoid taking any drug, and drink in moderation, but with so much unemployment and debt around, it is probably no surprise that people seek some form of escape from this pressure. We can witness the same problem in Russia, where many of the people on low incomes buy cheap vodka to ease the pain of poverty.

If you feel that you have a drink or drug problem, you might find that a hypnosis download can help. I've placed a few links below that may be of assistance:

Quit Smoking
Overcome Cannabis or Marijuana Addiction
Moderate your drinking
Overcome alcohol abuse
Break the heroin habit
Ian Brockwell writes straight talking, honest stories that engage readers. Contact Ian through NewsBlaze.