The Cost of Alcohol, Tobacco and Cannabis
A report published in the British Columbia Mental Health and Addictions Journal (Canada) stated that tobacco-related health costs are over $800 per user, alcohol-related costs are about $165 per user and cannabis-related health costs are about $20 per user.
The review, authored by researchers from the Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia at the University of Victoria and the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse at the University of Ottawa, stated: â??Alcohol is used by a very large number of people with the vast majority of these using in low- or moderate-risk ways. Conversely, cannabis and tobacco are used by far fewer people. The majority of cannabis use is low- and moderate-risk, however, while the majority of tobacco is high-risk.â?
In the conclusion of the study, the authors stated: â??The harms, risks and social costs of alcohol, cannabis and tobacco vary greatly. A lot has to do with how the substances are handled legally. Alcohol and tobacco are legal substances, which explains their low enforcement costs relative to cannabis. On the other hand, the health costs per user of tobacco and alcohol are much higher than for cannabis. This may indicate that cannabis use involves fewer health risks than alcohol or tobacco.â?
The author conclude further: â??These variations in risk, harms and cost need to be taken into account as we think about further efforts to deal with the use of these three substances. â?¦ Efforts to reduce social costs related to cannabis, for example, will likely involve shifting its legal status by decriminalizing casual use, to reduce the high enforcement costs. Such a shift may be warranted given the apparent lower health risk associated with most cannabis use.â?
You can read the report here: http: //www.heretohelp.bc.ca/publications/visions (page down to Cannabis for the pdf copy of the Journal)
The above information was posted on the NORML web site as well (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws). Check them out at Marijuana Law Reform - NORML.
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQyarO26pg0[/YOUTUBE]:S5:
