Alcohol and tobacco more dangerous than ecstasy, says study
The government is to be urged to consider reclassifying drugs according to the harm they do – and putting alcohol and tobacco above illegal drugs like ecstasy.
According to yesterday's Observer, The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce's commission on illegal drugs, communities and public policy has been examining what it believes is a 'serious misfit between the law relating to drugs and the way in which drugs are actually used by members of society'.
We suggest a new system for evaluating the risks of individual drugs that is based as far as possible on facts and scientific knowledge.
Colin Blakemore, chief executive of the Medical Research Council.
The commission, which includes John Yates, the Metropolitan Police's assistant commissioner, wants to find ways of making the UK's drugs laws more effective.
It has highlighted a study carried out by Colin Blakemore, chief executive of the Medical Research Council, that suggests classification should be linked to the relative risks involved in taking each drug.
Blakemore suggests current drugs laws are outdated and the system should look at the harm each drug does to society.
He told the paper: “The system has evolved in an unsystematic way from somewhat arbitrary foundations with seemingly little scientific basis. We suggest a new system for evaluating the risks of individual drugs that is based as far as possible on facts and scientific knowledge.
“It could form the basis of a new classification scheme for the Misuse of Drugs Act.”
Below is what the paper says the drugs league table would look like if the drugs were assessed in order of danger
1 Heroin
2 Cocaine
3 Barbiturates
4 Street methadone
5 Alcohol
6 Ketamine
7 Benzodiazepine
8 Amphetamines
9 Tobacco
10 Buprenorphine
11 Cannabis
12 Solvents
13 4-MTA
14 LSD
15 Methylphenidate
16 Anabolic steroids
17 GHB
18 Ecstasy
19 Alkyl nitrates
20 Khat
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