The 20 Most Dangerous Drugs
For preview only. Get it on Amazon.com  #ad.

The 20 Most Dangerous Drugs

5.81
12345678910
Ratings: 5.81/10 from 69 users.

The 20 Most Dangerous DrugsA team of leading scientists have spent two years analysing the effects of 20 of Britain's most widely used drugs, and have devised a scientifically rigorous - and controversial - new ranking for them.

The BBC's Horizon programme has followed their research and looks at the science behind the headlines.

How do the brain and body react to each stimulant as it passes into the bloodstream, and what are the long-term effects of drugs relative to their classification?

If the current classification should be changed in view of the latest findings, what exactly is Britain's most dangerous drug?

More great documentaries

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

220 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Dan
Dan
2 years ago

I saw this documentary when first aired. It reported on a properly independent scientific study commissioned by the BBC.

(As I recall, it too listed Heroin as #1 — alcohol as #4 — and cannibas as #11. (Note: Also as recalled: everything after 8 or 9 didn’t really seem to matter much.)

It should be shown again and regularly.

yveZ
yveZ
3 years ago

Does anyone know what happened to the doc? It does not seem to be here anymore :(

Conejo
Conejo
10 years ago

i cant see the uk study to be true...i feel like most of the uk the study is full of s*it

osiel galvan
osiel galvan
11 years ago

see cannabis on the thumbnail
nope.

J
J
11 years ago

please sent me list of dangerous drug

raz4u
raz4u
11 years ago

Alcohol is one of the most dangerous drugs lol. Have had countless years on this "most dangerous drug" and will have countless more.

Shirley Corda
Shirley Corda
11 years ago

Hemp can be used for making clothes. Do not discount the advantages of such natural gifts.
If we focused more on natural remedies the earth would not be in such a state of depletion and extinction.

Eksynyt Pelaaja
Eksynyt Pelaaja
11 years ago

I'm used to read, watch and listen lots of technical science stuff and this if this was "NAME OF SCIENCE" I quit. There was so much lag of results, given information and facts. They didn't even know how many users of some drugs have.

I have never hear about straight cannabis dead. If we get that line, we need to criminalize boring movies, becouse if you fell sleep becouse of the movie and you were cooking. Oh no.

I loved that Men Who Stare at Goats moment with the army dudes.

Read other comments below and make yourself happy that you never saw this. And remember that poisons are bad. For real xD

bbcbull
bbcbull
11 years ago

%100 of canabis users realize that social perceptions of it's harm are GREATLY exagerated.

This documentary undermines any semblence of credibility and is irrelevent.

I wished someone at some point during this documentary had stated the obvious...." Ironically, even after 50 years, we still really don''t know the long term effects of most of these drugs."

This 'science' has been, and continues to be co-opted by politics. There was not a single mention of percieved positive effect. These researchers should be ashamed of themselves. Pure and simple.

What a pile of horse shite.

Nobody YouKnow
Nobody YouKnow
11 years ago

I think that is a very good point to make that all drugs have some degree of inherent risk associated with them, some more than others. But there are also inherent dangers associated with many of our daily activities, its just that they have not been branded 'illegal' so you give it no thought; as an example every time you get behind the wheel of a car (or just in a car/bus/taxi/etc.) you run a risk (more people die in car accidents than are killed by 'illegal' drugs each year), but the risk is accepted and you use the car to get places, just like people who use drugs use them to get 'places' and people who drink use that to get 'places'.

Now if drugs were legal and regulated much of the inherent risk associated with them would be greatly reduced (i.e. impure/cut with dangerous chemicals/not the expected 'product'), its would also deal a blow to criminals who used drugs as a revenue stream and people could be properly educated regarding drugs, their usage, dangers and so on; rather than be left to find out for themselves and possibly make a life threatening decision rather than an informed one.

There is more, I could go on, but I think you can see where I stand, I just don't see how its anybody in governments business what substances I or anyone else decide to put in their body.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as a sorry state as the souls who live under tyranny.”
? Thomas Jefferson

Sydney Zalageris
Sydney Zalageris
12 years ago

i love when the army men take lsd, and oh no their not wanting to kill others they want to laugh and climb trees

Oscar
Oscar
12 years ago

lies, half truths, missunformation and lies, you believe 'em all, you swallow 'em all, lies, half truths missunformation and lies, you can control heroine, the problem is culture that convinced people with this kind of sh?t that something like so isn't possible break this cycle getting informed not stoned. Pot is not at all that bad, and depending on the kind can be healthy besides vaporizators are the best and healthier way to do weed.
A date: a fruit have at least more than 200 hundred chemicals in and on it,
-How can someone be so blind? we are exposed to chemicals every minute of our lives, when driving or waiting for the bus, when out at rushhours............

Danny willert
Danny willert
12 years ago

How are the Drugs dangerous if they have never caused a death? Also where did they get there information because there are alot and i mean ALOT of actual published scientific documents that disprove alot of their statemants.

ElvisF
ElvisF
12 years ago

I actually agree on placing cannabis that high up. I myself have smoked since i was a bit over 15, and i am now 19, and have not become "a stupid stoner" yet; I do well at school, i play in a pretty groovy band, have a really cute girlfriend, and a whole lot of good friends (and no; They don't all smoke). Now, I have not f--ked up, but; They guy who introduced me and my friends to weed have f--ked up, and all of his friends with him, and at least 4 of the people that I have introduced to smoking, have really f--ked up as well. I have witnessed myself how a handful of smart and clever people, have become a bunch of idiots smoking the day away. One of them now does GHB almost every weekend, and Valium on a daily basis.

But hey, by all means, pot is great, but you gotta be careful. It's not harmless.

Bradley Aubrey
Bradley Aubrey
12 years ago

most of these drugs on here are listed high simply because of the effects on the body they give, getting heart attacks or similar does not count towards overdose of heroine for example, which is why all these death rates are rated low on this documentary.

also sice this documentary has been out, users and street prices have raised by a significant amount, some almost doubled.

Cameron Juarez
Cameron Juarez
12 years ago

ecstasy isn't cut with rat poison are you r*tarded? MDMA is harmless in pure form... the only reason anyone has any negative side effects from E is because of the **** people cut the MDMA with.. usually amphetamines... which in that case its the amphetamines causing harm not mdma... and marijuana is super addictive almost every swinging d*ck who tries it because a r*tarded stoner... the majority of the people responding to this video don't understand the 3 basis of the arguments for the danger of the drug...

for example, tobacco kills millions yes.. and the most... yet smoking a single cigarette is nearly harmless... you usually smoke millions of them before you actually die from them... if you did millions of lines of cocaine... you'd have died millions of lines ago... heroin is so easily overdosed on... compared to alcohol... plus you must remind yourself percentages of mortality of users vs how many use... alcohol and tobacco have way more users... if you had the same amount of users of alcohol and tobacco as you have heroin... well heroin would be number 1...

Leave it to a bunch of druggies to over analyze scientific data and get all up in arms because they show proof of negatives of their drug of choice.. or lead their misguided mind astray.

David Santiago
David Santiago
12 years ago

Ive never heard so much crap about drugs in my life. If anyone thinks through this information objectively, these professionals know nothing about addiction. But I am not a valid source either as I was a drug addict for many many years, yet I beleive a drug addict is a pure knowledge base of the dangers of all drugs. Heroin number 1? pfffttt... if that's true, may my tracks dissapear. Looks at Portugal, the Netherlands and see how many die in comparrison to legal drugs.

btw, because I am not from England I am amazed at the prices I was seeing. Is that right? If they are, my god you people have it cheap. Even at the exchange rate now, you pay $10 to $20 pounds for a bag of Heroin? We pay $50 for point one of a gram. Some people pay upto $1600 for 3.5 grams.

BritDoc
BritDoc
12 years ago

Everyone know this propaganda crap
40 thousand people die a year from alcohol more people die from alcohol than suicide all the illegal drugs put together, even the goverment actively encourage people to drink it, nice.

Tobbaco kills more than alcohol, all drugs,car crashes homicide and sucide put togther. 50% of thoes who smoke will die from its effects.

How can ectasy be safe if its been cut with rat poison ? it doesnt mention this in the documentary.

And Coulten Hansen not all Brits are stupid, So stupid we know you work at Bread Garden Market & Bakery went to Iowa City High School and it says here you like football ? Dude this is the BBC, its not the British opinion dont insult people when you have all your personal information avaiable for all to see you donut!

Coulten Hansen
Coulten Hansen
12 years ago

stupid brits you put cannabis at 11????? over steroids??? ex **** dude ppl die from ex NO ONE DIES FROM CANNABIS END OF STORY!!! no harm only help to the body helps the brain the one thing that it sort of hurts the lungs it has been proven to help with lung cancer!!! this doc is total bull!!

collective_poo_machine
collective_poo_machine
12 years ago

i love rupert grint yay yay

collective_poo_machine
collective_poo_machine
12 years ago

john kay is da best dwug twaker eva lol lol lol lol lol sacarasm

john kay
john kay
12 years ago

screw this list lets bstart a new list what drugs have you tried and who wants to pARTY lol : weed hash oil booze beer exctasy mda coke crack lsd opium (i think in hash 1x) oxy and K? (with some hot chick - i got so messed up i forgot to boiing)

Dina Schmitz
Dina Schmitz
12 years ago

LSD could do more damage to the brain stem than THC, but LSD is so man made that it is virtually impossible to become addicted to, as I understand.

Jay Brown
Jay Brown
12 years ago

are you kidding me, cannabis is a worse drug than X and LSD? WTF

Dennis Kautz
Dennis Kautz
12 years ago

Having marijuana and any psychedelic on a list of dangerous drugs is laughable. One can argue that excessive recreational use is not ideal, but dangerous? Sounds like more of the idiotic propaganda that fuels the "war on drugs" in America. Don't take my word for it. Look into studies on marijuana health benefits or studies related to psychedelics.

MJJ0601
MJJ0601
12 years ago

No one here gets the point of the documentary. Marijuana might not effect everyone but it does have negative side effects. These researchers didn't look at the eye level perspective, they dug deeper to find out what can happen. Thinking of all the possibilities is how they came to their conclusions. Just because you haven't had problems with marijuana doesnt mean it can't happen. The video may not make sense to everyone but that's because we aren't scientistics who spent two years studying it. Just because it doesn't effect you, doesn't mean you can talk negatively about it.

MJJ0601
MJJ0601
12 years ago

No one here gets the point of the documentary. Marijuana might not effect everyone but it does have negative side effects. These researchers didn't look at the eye level perspective, they dug deeper to find out what can happen. Thinking of all the possibilities is how they came to their conclusions. Just because you haven't had problems with marijuana doesnt mean it can't happen. The video may not make sense to everyone but that's because we aren't scientistics who spent two years studying it. Just because it doesn't effect you, doesn't mean you can talk negatively about it.

Naved AcidDreamzakacodesofuniv
Naved AcidDreamzakacodesofuniv
12 years ago

Now newly discovered drug methodrone also called as Meow Meow has replaced XTC, Khat, Speed, Cocaine due to its high strength at dirt low price. After around 100 teenagers committed suicide due to post depression, its just got illegal in UK...yet its legal all over the world since its 2011 discovery...

Dan Flynn
Dan Flynn
12 years ago

When the film discusses Cannabis and its possible relation to forms of psychosis, it should have addressed the issue of whether prolonged, chronic use has any bearing on a tendency to believe in conspiracy theories or just fluffy strange things in general. This is only anecdotal of course, but just about everyone I know who is a long-term user also is a believer in the silliest conspiracy theories. It would be interesting to know if any actual studies have been done on this one aspect. To become paranoid right after getting high is well enough known. You can become privately paranoid and think that your life is disastrous; you can become socially paranoid around your friends; you can become paranoid about getting busted by the police; or you can become paranoid on a grand scale and concoct an ontological scheme about all of existence that carries over after the high is gone. How many times getting high does it take before it just sticks and you never become reasonable again? I think something like this happens when people start buying into the silliness of the David Ickes in the world or start labeling their water with good intentions.

Guest
Guest
12 years ago

I'm not making an argument, it's a different perspective. As far as health risks everything humans do carries health risks. It is always a trade-off. To say that weed has more health risks than let us say driving is preposterous.
Yet we don't ban driving. It's all a matter of perspective.

Austin
Austin
12 years ago

Considering that the psychoactive effects from solvents are most likely inseparable from nerve and organ damage and it is rated safer than cannabis makes this whole documentary a joke. I'd do heroin any day of the week before huffing.

lozo415
lozo415
12 years ago

By putting marijuana where they did and GHB as far safer just makes the whole experiment a joke. I think maybe they just want to make a point that pot isn't risk free and I agree with that but having been exposed to pot users all my life with most of the people I have known being pot smokers and having only met a few people in my life who have ever had a psychotic episode and most of them were not pot users at that time I think they have made way to much of that connection. Not to mention they forgot that the worst social problems that can be found with pot use are created by its illegality especially here in the USA.

Garret Keith David Wilcox
Garret Keith David Wilcox
12 years ago

wow you these people are stupid, i smoked for two years and i quit, i haven't been trying to quit and i won't be trying for the rest of my life. i quit.

Garret Keith David Wilcox
Garret Keith David Wilcox
12 years ago

thc*

Garret Keith David Wilcox
Garret Keith David Wilcox
12 years ago

your people obviously f***ed up if people are trippin on weed

huxleyalex
huxleyalex
12 years ago

I think the whole documentary could be made irrelevant if you used the daily phrase "let's have a clue".

huxleyalex
huxleyalex
12 years ago

The whole list is ridiculous. its based on biased opinion, and on the fear that media managed to create. There is a simple solution to the questions this documentary asks, and indeed many of the documentaries on this website. The solution is probably well known as "stop being stupid", and we can all do it.

Octron blarg
Octron blarg
12 years ago

Sigh...so your saying that i would be better off sniffing solvents then smoking weed and drinking? Open your god damn eyes. Also, how is ecstasy so far down the list? What about methamphetamine or caffeine? Your list is incredibly invalid because of the huge lack of scientific evidence. The only thing you guys did was complain that no research had been done on the drugs. A high school kid would have more knowledge about these drugs then you appear to have. I could rant on all day about the inaccuracies that infest this horrible documentary. "3 cigarettes and your addicted for life", i dont even need to explain that one.

Florida_Drug_Rehab
Florida_Drug_Rehab
12 years ago

wish that things like this didn't exist.. it saddens me greatly watching videos such as this one and seeing people struggling with these addictions.

arun
arun
12 years ago

how to dowmload this video

arun
arun
12 years ago

how to dowmload this video

0zyxcba1
0zyxcba1
12 years ago

If a substance could be developed that was totally non-addictive and completely harmless physiologically(or even healthful) but which allowed for expanded consciousness and subjective exploration bypassing any conceivable need for religion, such a substance would be banned immediately and cited as a Schedule A class drug, with sharp penalties for is prohibited use.

~ The above is a VERY loose paraphrasing of a statement(from memory) made a short while back by Sam Harris

Pat Khufu
Pat Khufu
12 years ago

can't believe caffee wasn't on there stupid list... solvents should of been closer to the worst, there so toxic ihaling paint is worse then doing coke. don't waste your time watching it people.. nothing new here just common knowledge, so little science displayed...

Rouché Fleshgod Fouché
Rouché Fleshgod Fouché
12 years ago

What lies.... cannabis is used in medical care, Even if you rub the leaves into a wound, it heals faster... No deaths have been reported due to cannabis. BBC: get your facts straight please.

Jazeen Hollings
Jazeen Hollings
12 years ago

where is crystal meth? i guess it did not effect Britain the way it effected the US

Americo Pereira Pereira
Americo Pereira Pereira
12 years ago

estes documentários são úteis por um lado amostra nos a realidade da vida outra coisa é quando se prova e ficamos colados a "ela" só kem passa por uma ressaca sabe o sofrimento mas tbm a alegria k nus propociona...nao?...

Amber Dragon
Amber Dragon
12 years ago

ha, im compleatly sober and even i know this is bs, heroin may be the top of the list here, but meth on the other hand is addictive as s***. think about this
cost
trouble to make
effects first time
effects over a long time
deaths

Eugenia Sotgia
Eugenia Sotgia
12 years ago

This is such bullshit, for lack of a better word. How can they class the dangers of drugs especially a drug like ecstasy, without considering the psychological effects? The reason I use ecstasy as an example is because people consider to be so harmful so they're more likely to take more and more, and end up depressed, which isn't something the scientific world should overlook. Also I am someone who considers psychology and state of mind to be a huge part of addiction, therefore I find their criteria to be rather useless.

Baba_Cool
Baba_Cool
12 years ago

This BBC documentary is a very flawed and disappointing work. To rank cannabis above solvents and ecstasy is irresponsible claptrap. Cannabis used alone has no recorded deaths EVER! Solvents kill and brain damage thousands of children throughout Latin America and the rest of the world!

McKenzee Nelson
McKenzee Nelson
12 years ago

did you know that one beer has as much alcohol as a glass of wine.