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NEWS: Adrian O'Dowd Tobacco and alcohol should be classed as dangerous drugs BMJ 2006; 333: 275 [Full text]

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Drug classification: Making a Hash of it? Alcohol is a drug.

robin Touquet   (9 August 2006)

Drug classification: Making a Hash of it? Alcohol is a drug. 9 August 2006
robin Touquet, Consultant in Emergecny Medic ine St Mary's Hospital, Praed Street, W2 1NY Send response to journal: Re: Drug classification: Making a Hash of it? Alcohol is a drug.	Sir, This is a very important report because it highlights that alcohol is indeed a drug; over time one of destructive dependency. This drug's first action is to depress the inhibitory centres. All to often this releases risk taking behaviour, resulting in adverse judicial, social and medical consequences. Ask any policeman or ambulance man. Alcohol is perceived - especially by the young - as a safe, cheap, legal, amusing social lubricant; even in excess. It is 'culturally encouraged'. The Government has now facilitated freer availablity, reinforcing this view, as does the advent of 'alcopops' (implying safe for the young). Fewer would go out on-mass socially to 'overdose' (on alcohol), if they had insight. Hence the importance of alcohol being ranked publically as a drug that harms both individuals and society. All who work in Emergency Departments see this only too clearly. However for us, alcohol is the 'Number 1' drug of abuse, not 'number 5', as the report states. Reference. Alcohol - can the NHS afford it? Royal College of Physicians, London. February 2001. Competing interests: None declared