Alcohol, Tobacco, Pot?
A question on Twitter has led me to ask a question here:
What’s the most dangerous drug: alcohol, cigarettes, or pot?
Now, cigarettes kill a lot of people, can’t be denied. But I’ve read enough to believe the dangers of second-hand smoke are vastly overrated by the anti-smoking factions. (Though every time I bring this up there’s an escalating link-war between the two sides, and if you feel like doing that go at it in the comments – I won’t partake.) So what we have here is a drug that kills a lot of people on its own.
On the other hand, alcohol also kills a lot of people – not so much by itself, but by drunk driving and various acts of murder. Alcohol has more stories per fluid ounce than any other substance, and I think if you take into account alcohol-related crimes and stupidity, alcohol starts skyrocketing.
Pot, on the other hand, has some real cancer risk, and probably causes some accidents from driving (it’s hard to test whether you’re currently high), but I don’t think is all that dangerous.
Then again, it’s hard to say. Cigarettes can’t be advertised on TV or radio, so the rate of smoking has been decreasing, whereas Superbowl-friendly alcohol gets teens drinking at an early age. And pot usage is suppressed because, well, it’s illegal. So you can’t just look at the current rates, you have to look at a complex series of factors that includes related crimes, advertising, and popularity.
Which seems the perfect spot for a fact-free debate in my comments.