CNN: Alcohol 'most harmful drug,' followed by crack and heroin

[bikeTripper]

Alcohol 'most harmful drug,' followed by crack and heroin (http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/01/alcohol.harm/index.html)

[Amnesian]

Its just ridiculous, isn't it!!! makes me lol

[DocJTre2]

THAT IS THE MOST LIBERAL DUMMYCRATIC PROPAGANDA BULLSHIT I'VE EVER READ!!!! THIS IS NOT WHAT FOX NEWS, THE REAL NEWS, SAYS! THIS PROPAGANDA HAS SHIPPED AMERICA TO... WHERE IS AMERICA? I WANT MY AMERICA BACK ... LIBERAL'S!!!WHERE IS MY AMERICA??? NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! WHO PUBLISHED THIS ARTICLE? I WILL THROW THEM ON THE GROUND AND STOMP THEIR NECK INTO THE CONCRETE THEN ASK FOR THEM TO APOLOGIZE TO ME!!!! AMERICA!!!! WHY?!?!?!?! WHERE ARE YOU??? I KNOW THE LIBS HAVE TAKEN YOU, STAY STRONG!!! THE REAL AMERICAN REPRESENTATIVES ARE BACK IN CONTROL NOW!!! THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE SPOKE, WE WILL HAVE YOU BACK IN NO TIME WHEREVER YOU ARE!!! GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!

^sarcasm

[killerweed420]

Yeah its what most reasonable people have known all along, that alcohol abuse is a bigger problem than all the illicit drugs combined. And prescription abuse is right behind alcohol as far as a national problem.
And as we see time and time again prohibition isn't the answer and never has been. The people who have abuse problems need help not incarceration, its a health issue not a legal issue.

[stormin94]

Meth didn't make top three??? Sounds like bs to me. Although I agree that alcohol, crack and heroin can be harmful. Crack and heroin are much better at destroying a life than alcohol. Alcohol makes the list because it is readily available. Crack and heroin are just a hair more hardcore than booze, don't ya think? If you abuse booze, it's very dangerous let me make that clear.

But meth isn't even top three? Really?

[jokes11]

Meth didn't make top three??? Sounds like bs to me. Although I agree that alcohol, crack and heroin can be harmful. Crack and heroin are much better at destroying a life than alcohol. Alcohol makes the list because it is readily available. Crack and heroin are just a hair more hardcore than booze, don't ya think? If you abuse booze, it's very dangerous let me make that clear.

But meth isn't even top three? Really?

Exactly what I was thinking. Meth has to be right up there.

[bikeTripper]

I can't speak for meth, but over the years I have known a couple of heroin junkies, crackheads, and alcoholics. From what I've seen, alcohol really is the worst one over the long haul.

A heroin junky can maintain quite well if they have an income and don't need to become thieves, prostitutes, etc. to survive, eat a decent diet, etc. Opiates don't really fuck with your liver the way booze does. I've never known anyone who did it for many, many years, but you'd be surprised how many doctors are addicts. Look up statistics on addiction among anesthesiologists (http://www.google.com/search?q=addiction+among+anesthesiologists), in particular.

What I've seen of crackheads (freebase) is that they usually come to a crisis in a fairly short time. All of the ones I knew quit after at most a few bad years. I'm sure there are people who do it for decades, but I've never met them.

The alcoholics I've known have had a very bad time with it. A few quit drinking after multiple car wrecks. They were lucky, in that they didn't kill or maim anyone. Several committed suicide. Decades of heavy drinking will really screw up your heart, arteries, and liver, cause obesity, brain damage and more.

All three can kill you from an overdose, but can also be used in responsible dosages by educated actors (well, maybe not crack... wanting more is a major part of the experience :wtf: ). I think if you removed all of the side factors like income, nutrition, social class, etc. and just compared the physical effects of the drug on the body alcohol would probably still come out the worst.