I walked into my husband’s office this morning and he says, “Hey! Good news! Crack and meth are better for you than cigarettes and alcohol!”
Huh?
Apparently, a British study concluded that alcohol is “most harmful overall and almost three times as harmful as cocaine or tobacco.” This includes damage to the user and to society as a whole.
Heroin and crack ranked second and third.
And you want to know the really good news? Ecstasy is all the way down the scale as the eighth most harmful drug. Woo-hoo!
Statistics amuse me. Journalism amuses me. A few facts from a study are presented and we’re lead to assume that if we all quit drinking and smoking, and maybe picked up a “less harmful” drug instead, the world would be a better place.
Twist a few numbers to suit your purpose. Leave out a little information. And voila! A news item is born.
The lead scientist in the study?
Professor Nutt.
Now THAT’S funny!
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