Health-related costs per user are eight times higher for drinkers than they are for those who use cannabis, and are more than 40 times higher for tobacco smokers, according to a report published in the British Columbia Mental Health and Addictions Journal.
According to the report, “In terms of [health-related] costs per user: tobacco-related health costs are over $800 per user, alcohol-related health costs are much lower at $165 per user, and cannabis-related health costs are the lowest at $20 per user.”
The review, authored by researchers from the Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia at the University of Victoria and the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse at the University of Ottawa, stated: “Alcohol is used by a very large number of people with the vast majority of these using in low- or moderate-risk ways. Conversely, cannabis and tobacco are used by far fewer people. The majority of cannabis use is low- and moderate-risk, however, while the majority of tobacco is high-risk.”
The study reported that social costs applicable to marijuana are primarily “enforcement-related.”
The authors concluded: “The harms, risks and social costs of alcohol, cannabis and tobacco vary greatly. A lot has to do with how the substances are handled legally. Alcohol and tobacco are legal substances, which explains their low enforcement costs relative to cannabis. On the other hand, the health costs per user of tobacco and alcohol are much higher than for cannabis. This may indicate that cannabis use involves fewer health risks than alcohol or tobacco.
“These variations in risk, harms and cost need to be taken into account as we think about further efforts to deal with the use of these three substances. … Efforts to reduce social costs related to cannabis, for example, will likely involve shifting its legal status by decriminalizing casual use, to reduce the high enforcement costs. Such a shift may be warranted given the apparent lower health risk associated with most cannabis use.”
According to a recent Rasmussen national poll of 1,000 likely voters, Americans believe by more than two to one that alcohol is “more dangerous” than marijuana
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3 comments:
The statistics are scary but is a fact that smoking is going up the ill health ladder by the day.
Costs related to cannabis use are from law enforcement.. I would have to concur. Having smoked cannabis for some 39 yrs (and cigarettes too) the only illness i have had is... none that i can think of! The law recently paid us a visit based on a coward line call to crime stoppers... how much do 4 senior detectives cost per hour? The haul? less than 2g of weed and a bong. They found nothing on the person vexatiously named in their warrant!
What a waste of tax payers money! I smoke pot. I am not a criminal. Alcohol is a bigger killer by far than dope. As a functioning smoker and responsible baby boomer who can not tolerate alcohol, I WANT my recreational drug - not what the govt thinks is best for me as an INDIVIDUAL.
I agree totally thanks for your comments anonymous
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