A recent study out of Great Britain suggests that alcohol is more deadly than crack cocaine and even heroin.
Scientists in Great Britain devised a system for evaluating the dangers of both legal and illegal drugs. The drugs were rated using a technique called Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) which assess damage according to nine factors with regard to harm to the user and seven factors that indicate harm to others. Factors which were considered for harm to the user were such things as drug-specific or drug related death, damage to personal health, drug dependence and loss of relationships. Criteria considered with regard to harm to others included crime, environmental damage, conflict within families, international damage, economic costs and damage relating to division within communities.
“I think that society, as a whole, doesn’t realize exactly how detrimental alcohol is,” begins a spokesperson for Mountainside Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center. “The attitude within the United States seems to be: ‘if you’re 21, the law says that you are old enough to drink, therefore there can’t be any real harm in drinking in moderation’. But, as this study shows, there are more factors to consider than just those related to personal health. Certainly, health is a major consideration, but personal, family and work relationships rank a close second. Educating young adults on the various ways that alcohol impacts on their lives and the lives of others can go a long way in decreasing alcohol abuse.”
The World Health Organization has estimated that factors related to alcohol and its consumption cause nearly 2.5 million deaths annually due to road accidents, suicides, heart and liver disease as well as cancer. Deaths related to alcohol factors account for 3.8 percent of all deaths worldwide and are the third leading risk factor for disabilities and premature death.
The MCDA technique utilizes a score system based on 100, with 100 being the most harmful drug and zero for drugs that are evaluated to be of no harm. Out of 100, alcohol scored 72 followed by heroin and crack cocaine at 55 and 54, respectively.
Mountainside Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center has long been an advocate for alcohol and drug abuse prevention through education, starting at the family and community level. Since its inception, Mountainside has been committed to creating ways that will help individuals to get and to remain sober.
The compassionate, caring treatment team at Mountainside is comprised of licensed and certified counselors and social workers as well as an on-staff Nurse Practitioner and a Registered Nurse, both of whom have specialization and extensive experience in drug addiction and alcohol treatment. For clients who may have psychiatric issues and/or a dual diagnosis, Mountainside provides the services of a Psychiatrist who also has specialization in addictions. As a result of their unique, innovative approaches to addiction treatment over the past 12 years, Mountainside has become the model for the addiction treatment field.
The program, along with its professional addiction treatment team, have earned national recognition and resulted in Mountainside being invited to Washington by the White House to meet with the White House Drug Czar, John P. Waters, for an in-depth meeting on what makes its program so successful. These accolades did not go unnoticed within the addiction treatment field and resulted in the adoption by many throughout the country of a more holistic approach to drug addiction treatment.
If you or someone you love is addicted to drugs or alcohol, or if you have any questions, please contact Mountainside Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center for a confidential inquiry at 800-762-5433.
