A death every 90 minutes: Why alcohol still trumps ice and other illicit substances as the most devastating drug in Australia
- A study found alcohol is worse for the community than ice, heroin, and fentanyl
- The study compared 22 different drugs, and found alcohol is the most damaging
- Alcohol was linked with brain injury, anxiety, depression, and 7 forms of cancer
- Alcohol-related harm costs the Australian community $6.8 billion annually
Studies have shown that alcohol remains the most harmful drug to Australian communities, causing one death every 90 minutes.
Despite the well-publicised damage wrought by illicit drugs like ice, ecstasy, heroin and cocaine, the research showed it was the most available drug which had the biggest impact.
The research was funded by St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, and included a study of 22 drugs measuring the risk to individuals and society as a whole, reported The Age.
The study, led by Associate Professor Yvonne Bonomo and consulting emergency workers, police, doctors, and welfare workers, found the overall cost of alcohol to the Australian economy was around $6.8 billion, compared to methamphetamine which costs $5 billion.
Each substance was ranked between 0 and 100 based on the level of damage they inflicted on users including illness, injury, and death, and the effect on the wider community including violence, crime, unemployment, and economic cost.
Studies have confirmed alcohol is most harmful drug to Australian communities, causing one death every 90 minutes
Alcohol was ranked the most damaging with a score of 77, leaving other drugs commonly thought to be more harmful by the wayside, including fentanyl (51), heroin (58), and methamphetamine - known by its street name 'ice' (66).
Associate Professor Bonomo said one person dies every 90 minutes from alcohol-related harm in Australia.
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'Up to half a million Australians are unable to access the help they need from alcohol and other drug treatment services,' she said. 'With the largest unmet demand being for alcohol dependence.'
Alcohol was also linked high rates of depression, anxiety, and brain injury, seven forms of cancer, and around 60 additional physical illnesses.
The research was funded by St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, and included a study of 22 drugs measuring the risk to individuals and society as a whole
'Once people are really in the grips of alcohol dependence they start to lose what we call the tangibles like loss of job, loss of house,' Professor Bonomo said. 'For the first time, we examined all those harms to the drinker and those around them.'
The study also included physical and emotional damage to children from having parents who abused alcohol, and found women are more likely to be abused by an intimate partner when under the influence of alcohol.
It also found men are more likely to be abused by strangers, friends or colleagues while drinking.
Alcohol was also linked high rates of depression, anxiety, and brain injury, seven forms of cancer, and around 60 additional physical illnesses
A spokesperson for the Foundation for Alcohol Research & Education told Daily Mail Australia the issue largely stems from the normalised culture of alcohol.
'Alcohol is legal, there's strong industry marketing promotion, it has been around for centuries, an it's used population-wide whereas illegal drugs tend to be used by smaller groups.'
'Alcohol has become very normalised in our culture so people aren't properly aware of the risks, but it kills about 6,000 people per year.'
The foundation also said prevention could include curbing the heavy marketing efforts by alcohol companies, and managing the presence of alcohol delivery services.
