drug dangerousness ranking

Folks over at Mind Hacks found a UK report ranking drug dangerous. The rank is based on a combination of physical damage, social harm and addictive properties. The order is quite fascinating given the legal status of each one listed:

1. Heroin
2. Cocaine
3. Barbituates
4. Street methadone
5. Alcohol
6. Ketamine
7. Benzodiazepines (e.g. Valium)
8. Amphetamines
9. Tobacco
10. Buprenorphine
11. Cannabis
12. Solvents
13. 4-MTA
14. LSD
15. Methylphenidate (Ritalin)
16. Anabolic steroids
17. GHB
18. Ecstasy
19. Alkyl Nitrites (poppers)
20. Khat

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11 thoughts on “drug dangerousness ranking

  1. JJB

    Unless they are including the risk of getting put in jail for 10 years as one of the negative side effects, that is absurd that cannabis is so much higher than Ecstasy, which can seriously fuck up your brain and spinal fluid afaik.

  2. greg sapele

    This is a good list, it’s like a scoring system. When I add up the numbers of the drugs that I have in my system… the higher, the better! 🙂

    damn they forgot tcpip

  3. z

    Perhaps they ranked the list on personal harm.
    In general (but not in specific cases), drugs are classified illegal based upon their social harm. The likelyhood a drug-user will cause harm to other people and society. Although people always reason that if drugs were legal most harm would be minimised, thats the theory behind it.

    If we were to ban things based upon personal harm, many other things/activities would be banned as well.

  4. tucki

    study is based on personal harm, social harm and addictive properties – the claimed factors for legal classifications. personally I think this is great! finally a serous, offical study to throw some sense into this issue.

  5. Ashley

    The list was a combination of likelihood to cause addiction, risk of physical harm and risk of harm to society. The only thing it did not include was the risk of a prison sentence/fine – but then who is the law supposed to be pretecting if not individuals and society???

  6. alex

    So, where do things like OXYcodone and HYDROcodone fit in on the scale?
    Because I used to be somewhat addicted to HYDRO after i had a surgry and my whole life I’vd taken Ritlin and Adderall to help with my ADD’.
    I think it has messed my thinking up and my verble skills.( I slur my words a lot.)

  7. Anon

    “Ecstasy,[…] can seriously fuck up your brain and spinal fluid […]”

    You’ve been watching too many ‘this is your brain on drugs’ propammercials.

  8. Nick O'D

    There was a televison programme in the UK a few weeks ago based on this list. It claimed that the list was put together objectively, reviewing at least three factors that I can recall: a) the likelihood that the drug would kill you, which is why alcohol and tobacco are in the top 10; b) the likelihood the drug would damage you either mentally – cannabis, or physically – alcohol and car crashes; c) the likelihood you would kill or damage someone else under the influence of the drug.

  9. Jon

    I dont know if you smoke weed or not but it does not inhibit your mental abbility at all. I smoke A LOT! and i am some dumb idiot who cant function. Weed has no negative effect on the brain or any other human organ. The only dangerous thing about it is the smoke inhilation.
    Dont believe me? watch “The Union, the Business Behind Getting High”
    Cannabis should not be this high on the list.

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