Alcohol and tobacco are the worst addictive drugs

According to a study published in the journal Addiction, alcohol and tobacco pose the greatest threats of all addictive drugs to the welfare of the world’s population.

A team of 17 researchers analysed data compiled by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Their analysis showed that the combined effect of alcohol abuse and tobacco use cost humans more than a quarter of a billion disability-adjusted life years, while illegal drug use cost some extra tens of millions.

Illegal drug use caused the smallest burden of substance abuse, while tobacco use caused the greatest. An estimated one in seven adults throughout the world use tobacco products, while an estimated one in five adults will drink alcoholic beverages heavily at least once each month.

Residents of Eastern, Central, and Western Europe had higher percentages of heavy alcohol consumption, higher alcohol consumption per capita and higher tobacco use.

In a surprising finding, illegal drug use was much less common than alcohol abuse and tobacco use. The researchers estimated that less than one in 20 adults worldwide smoke marijuana, and estimated worldwide rates for opioids, amphetamine, and cocaine use were even lower.

The US, Canada, and Australasia had the highest rates for marijuana, opioid, and cocaine dependence, while Australasia had the highest rate for amphetamine dependence.

US dependence rates were 0.69% for marijuana, 0.57% for opioids and 0.27% for cocaine. Canadian dependence rates were 0.81% for marijuana, 0.72% for opioids and 0.33% for cocaine. Australasia dependence rates were 0.49% for amphetamine, 0.69% for marijuana, 0.51% for opioids and 0.16% for cocaine.