Horizon: Is alcohol worse than ecstasy?

And of course the answer is, yes and no. But that's the short answer.
On tonight show they compared 20 drugs on the criteria: what the drug does to the person who takes it, addictiveness and consequences to society. Based not on myth, on science! You can't argue with science. Well you can if you're frightened of the tabloids, and there will still be people who will throw their hands in the air.
I didn't know even there were even 20 types of naughty drugs! I thought there were about five. I'm so innocent.
So here's the chart, fact fans. 1. is the most dangerous.
20. The least dangerous drug. Khat. I've never heard of it. Not illegal.
19. Poppers. Anyone who likes doing that should be shot. Absolutely disgusting. The smell of them at festivals or in clubs gives me a headache.
18. Ecstasy! Well, who'd have thought it. Me, actually, as I've read up on it as well as having watched a fair few documentaries about it. There's a lot of mythology surrounding ecstasy (the spinal thing, brain damage etc but it's mostly scare stories). Wow, 27 deaths a year though. That's quite a lot. I think Leah Betts was the 'best' anti-ecstasy advert ever. Because 'it could be you'. But in reality, you're more likely to die angling, and that's a fact. Death is mainly due to dehydration, or mixing it with other drugs. I've heard it's quite good fun and stopped football hooligans beating each other up back in the day. Sounds alright. They gave it to people in a lab! It can't be that bad, can it? The law is a load of rubbish really, it's arbitrary. A class A drug has no lasting effects, is not addictive, and makes people hug each other. It's just got a bad press. Oh and people's brains go back to normal after a year. So that's handy to know, E heads. Go do more E. Just try not to die.
17. GHB. My ex boyfriend got spiked with this when we went to Ibiza when I was 17. He accidentally knocked a drink over and some smirking barmen gave him a freebie drink that nearly crippled him. He was nearly paralysed and laid up in bed for three days but unusually horny. We read a leaflet on it whilst we were still there and realised what had happened. Horrible stuff. Keep an eye on your drinks, folks.
16. Steroids. Gross. Surely they should be higher?
15. Methylphenidate. They give this to kids for ADHD. And it's more harmful than E, according to science. Reassuring, no?
14. LSD. Someone who I hadn't seen for 12 years emailed me today and used to dish out acid like they were lovehearts. The joys of growing up in Northampton. So I don't think you really get acid these days. 83,000 people use it?!!!! Who??? Who is using it?! I don't find melting toilet doors that pleasurable myself. Your hands become fascinating though. So I've heard.
13. 4MTA. I've never heard of it. 33 x more powerful than E, but no eurphoric high. Hmm. Sounds rubbish.
12. Solvents. HOW can that not be higher?! Solvents are manky! 50-60 deaths per year. What a way to go. How depressing. I had an American friend at university who used to do 'whippets' sucking aerosols out of a balloon, I seem to recall. I told her she was insane. I don't know about you, but i wouldn't want my mum to find me dead with a can of Sure in my hand. Absolutely minging.
11. Cannabis. How can cannabis be higher than solvents!? That's crazy. Cannabis grows from the ground and kills no one. Don't get me wrong, I do not smoke dope (or anything) and I find it very dull. Stoned people don't speak very much, which makes socialising more difficult. More than that, I have seen dope destroy people, by just making them apathetic in every area of their life. I think it is highly addictive. But I've never quite believed these 'cannabis made me crazy' stories. I always thought you must have it in you anyway. I think generally, people can smoke dope socially, just like someone who'd have a drink, and just get on with their lives. It definitely shouldn't be illegal, if cigarettes aren't.
10. Buprenorphine. A heroin substitute. Sounds like being between a serious rock and a hard place.
9. Cigarettes. They kill one fifth of the population! Shit! Why don't they ban it? of course I know why, money, money, money. 114,000 deaths a year! Smoking ALONE kills more than suicide, car crashes, drugs, HIV, and homicide COMBINED. The punchline is, it doesn't even GET YOU HIGH! People are INSANE. I remember my friends starting to smoke when we were about 15 and I just pitied them. Unbelievable stupidity. I feel like calling up my mum and screaming at her for starting again.
8. Amphetamines. Do you want to stay up all night, and even when you want to go to sleep, you won't be able to? Also helps you slim, but makes you anxious. Yuck.
7. Benzodiazepine. Valium and stuff. How can this be more dangerous than fags? How can speed be? Fags kill 114,000 people a year! I'm still shocked. I shouldn't be. I work for a cancer charity!
6. Ketamine. Mmm, horse tranquiliser. Tasty! Do you want to go down the rabbit hole? I didn't even know ketamine even killed people. I thought it just made them think everyone was a Pokemon. Luckily, I think people are put off by the whole horse thing. Neigh!
5. Booze. I thought this would be number one. Socially, I think booze has a lot to answer for. Booze can make a normal person aggressive, change people's personality, booze can destroy people's lives. It's only the fact that drink has always been around that we tolerate it. Can you imagine if they tried to ban booze! Haha. Booze causes 40% of casualty admissions. Booze is bad in large doses, but again, it's alright if you're sensible. What can you do? Some people are always going to go too far. Apparently it's better to 'drink constantly' than binge drink! Nuts.
4. Methadone. Another opiate/ heroin replacement. 295 deaths a year. That's a lot.
3. Barbituates. Prescribed drugs, but an OD kills you easily. Treats insomnia (by killing you, by the sounds of things.)
2. Cocaine. Expensive. Addictive. Turns you into a twat. Crack cocaine. Even more addictive. Turns you into a prostitute. Best avoided I think.
1. Heroin. As bad as it gets. How could anyone even ever try it? No high could be worth it. I don't care how comfy and cosy it makes you feel. I feel very sorry for anyone on it. I think it's poverty driven, mainly. It's just very, very sad.
So that's that. Will any laws change? No. So people will just make up their own minds. As per usual, then.