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The Australian drug harms ranking study
Yvonne Bonomo1, Amanda Norman1, Sam Biondo2
11 Department of Addiction Medicine, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Journal of Psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
|May 14, 2019
Summary
Alcohol is the most harmful drug in Australia, causing significant harm to both individuals and others. Crystal methamphetamine and heroin also pose substantial risks, highlighting the need for targeted harm reduction policies.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pharmacology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Drug harms in Australia were assessed using the established Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methodology.
- This approach, previously applied internationally, provides a standardized framework for evaluating substance-related harms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively review and rank drug harms within the Australian context.
- To identify the substances causing the greatest harm to individuals and to society.
Main Methods:
- A workshop involving 25 Australian experts scored 22 drugs across 16 harm criteria (individual and societal).
- Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) software was utilized for scoring and weighting criteria via swing weighting.
- Prevalence data was incorporated in a supplementary analysis to refine overall harm rankings.
Main Results:
- Fentanyls, heroin, and crystal methamphetamine were identified as the most harmful drugs to users.
- Alcohol, crystal methamphetamine, and cigarettes/tobacco were ranked as most harmful to others.
- Overall, alcohol emerged as the most harmful drug when considering both individual and societal harms, followed by cigarettes, crystal methamphetamine, cannabis, heroin, and pharmaceutical opioids.
Conclusions:
- This study contributes crucial data to the international understanding of drug harms, emphasizing the significant impact of alcohol.
- Urgent policy development is recommended to mitigate harms associated with alcohol and methamphetamine use.
- Findings underscore the need for prioritized interventions to reduce the pervasive harms caused by alcohol and other substances.
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