Alcohol, tobacco among riskiest drugs

British study rated the substances more dangerous than marijuana, Ecstasy

The Associated Press

Updated: 8:41 p.m. ET March 23, 2007

LONDON - New "landmark" research finds that alcohol and tobacco are more dangerous than some illegal drugs like marijuana or Ecstasy and should be classified as such in legal systems, according to a new British study.

In research published Friday in The Lancet magazine, Professor David Nutt of Britain's Bristol University and colleagues proposed a new framework for the classification of harmful substances, based on the actual risks posed to society. Their ranking listed alcohol and tobacco among the top 10 most dangerous substances.

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