The 3 Deadliest Drugs in America and They Are All Legal
The legalization of marijuana is sweeping the nation. While a handful of states have recently passed legislation to make small amounts legal on a recreational level, there is still strong opposition among Americans who think it is dangerous for the general public.
Take a look at the three deadliest drugs in America that causes more harm on a daily basis than any other substance:
Tobacco
Tobacco is one of the 3 deadliest drugs in America, and it’s legal. No other single substance comes close when you count the number of deaths tobacco causes on a yearly basis.
According to the Center for Disease Control, in 2014, tobacco was the main cause in 480,000 deaths in the United States. Of those 480,000, 42,000 died from second-hand smoke.
While tobacco use has greatly declined over the past few decades, government warnings, nonprofit organizations, and sky high taxes are trying to reduce that number to zero.
Alcohol
Another legal substance, alcohol, has been rated has the second deadliest drug in America.
In 2011, liver disease from excessive alcohol consumption caused more than 26,000 deaths in the United States. When you begin to look at other causes of death related to alcohol, including assault, domestic violence, or drunk driving, that number rises to 88,000.
Taxes and strict anti drinking and driving laws have been implemented to help curb alcohol-related deaths in the United States. A small handful of states are still struggling to pass open container laws restricting alcoholic beverages in moving vehicles, which have been the source of hot topic in recent years.
PainKillers
According to statistics, painkillers are still widely viewed as one of the 3 deadliest drugs in America.
Since 1999, Opioid-based painkillers have been linked to an increase of overdose deaths. Many of these deaths were caused by not taking the drugs by themselves, but mixing them with other substances, including alcohol.
In recent years, the federal government has taken steps to control the flow of legalized painkillers in the United States. Similar to Adderall, companies are heavily regulated and only allowed to release a pre-determined amount of each drug onto the market every year. Retail stores have also attempted to curb the use of painkillers by teenagers by requiring identification when purchasing the pills.
Parents have been advised to lock their painkiller medication safely away at home to avoid any mishaps and overdoses among family members.
https://www.vox.com/2014/5/19/5727712/drug-alcohol-deaths
http://www.everydayhealth.com/addiction/0418/the-deadliest-drug-in-america-may-surprise-you.aspx
