Alcohol is more dangerous than heroin
A recent study in the UK has found out that alcohol is, surprisingly, more dangerous than heroin or crack. Scientists examined 20 drugs and their effects on people and society. While heroin and crack were considered to be very harmful to individuals, heroin, alcohol and cocaine are the worst for society. The study found out that alcohol had the worst overall effects. The study also said that tobacco was at least as harmful as cocaine. Ecstasy, LSD and marijuana were considered to be the drugs that cause the least damage. Substances were marked from 0 to 100 on a scale. Alcohol received 72, the highest rating, while heroin was rated at 55 and crack at 54.
Researchers looked at 16 factors in their study, including a drug’s effect on the brain and body, how it affects the crime rate as well as the costs for the economy. Although cocaine is more addictive, alcohol is the most harmful drug our society because it is most widely used. It does the most damage to the world around us.
Alcohol is drunken by a large part of the population as a social drink. It makes you happy and loosens you up. When it enters the brain it produces a chemical called dopamine. This makes you feel happy and without stress. However, too much alcohol consumption can lead to the destruction of almost all parts of your body. People who drink alcohol are more likely to drive in a drunken state or commit violent acts. The World Health Organization estimates that alcohol causes about 3 million deaths every year, including suicides, car accidents and heart and liver diseases.
Banning alcohol is not the same as forbidding LSD, cocaine or other drugs. It is part of our culture, but the report concludes that governments should do more to educate the population and point out the dangers of alcohol consumption. Especially younger people are at a high risk. They like to combine energy drinks with alcohol. These alcopops taste good but contain a lot of alcohol and are high on calories, which leads to obesity.
(www.english-online.at. Adaptado.)
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