The other day my child asked me why it was legal to buy and sell alcohol and cigarettes.
I was completely stumped by the question and could not answer her with a truthful answer.
So just out of curiosity i looked up Just how dangerous these legal and commonly celebrated recreational enjoyments are…
The number of deaths caused by drugs are overwhelmingly dominated by tobacco and alcohol - the two most popularly used and legally accessible drugs on the market.
Tobacco killed 480,000 Americans in 2013, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Alcohol killed 29,001 in the same year.
By comparison, heroin, prescription drugs, including opiods (pain killers) and benzodiazapines (anti-anxiety medication) and cocaine, the drugs with the highest number of deaths other than tobacco and alcohol, combined to kill 4,202 Americans.
Marijuana, which is legal for recreational use in Washington and Colorado, did not cause any deaths, according to the CDC.
After reading this I’m still at a loss for an answer to the question…if anything now i want to know!
