Alcohol is more harmful than heroin¹ or crack, according to a study published in medical journal the Lancet.

医学杂志《柳叶刀》上一项研究显示，酒精对人体的伤害超过海洛因。

The report is co-authored by Professor David Nutt, the former UK chief drugs adviser² who was sacked by the government in October 2009.

It ranks 20 drugs on 16 measures of harm to users and to wider society.

Tobacco and cocaine³ are judged to be equally harmful, while ecstasy⁴（狂喜，入迷） and LSD are among the least damaging.

Prof Nutt refused to leave the drugs debate when he was sacked from his official post by the former Labour Home Secretary, Alan Johnson.

He went on to form the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs, a body which aims to investigate the drug issue without any political interference.

One of its other members is Dr Les King, another former government advisor⁵ who quit over Prof Nutt's treatment.

Classification system

Members of the group, joined by two other experts, scored each drug for harms including mental and physical damage, addiction⁶, crime and costs to the economy and communities.

The modelling exercise concluded that heroin, crack and methylamphetamine（甲基苯丙胺） were the most harmful drugs to individuals, but alcohol, heroin and crack cocaine were the most harmful to others.

Alcohol is more harmful than heroin or crack, according to a study published in medical journal the Lancet.

The report is co-authored by Professor David Nutt, the former UK chief drugs adviser who was sacked by the government in October 2009.

It ranks 20 drugs on 16 measures of harm to users and to wider society.

Tobacco and cocaine are judged to be equally harmful, while ecstasy and LSD are among the least damaging.

Prof Nutt refused to leave the drugs debate when he was sacked from his official post by the former Labour Home Secretary, Alan Johnson.

He went on to form the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs, a body which aims to investigate the drug issue without any political interference.

One of its other members is Dr Les King, another former government advisor who quit over Prof Nutt's treatment.

Classification system

Members of the group, joined by two other experts, scored each drug for harms including mental and physical damage, addiction, crime and costs to the economy and communities.

The modelling exercise concluded that heroin, crack and methylamphetamine were the most harmful drugs to individuals, but alcohol, heroin and crack cocaine were the most harmful to others.