Ranking the Collateral Damage of Drugs [Motion Graphic]

Collateral Damage

Drugs wreak irreparable damage upon the mind and body – it’s been said time and time again. Yet it’s so easy to dismiss these cautionary words when you don’t know exactly what type of damage a drug is likely to cause. But what if we quantified this damage? What if we were able to determine exactly what type of harm you were most likely to suffer as a user of a given drug?

These are the questions that former U.K. government researchers were seeking to answer in their recent study of the harmful effects of drugs. Researchers ranked the 20 most commonly used drugs according to their potential to cause harm. 16 types of harm – harm to the user, to others, and to society – were evaluated. Finally, drugs were ranked according to their overall potential for harm. Here we’ve shown the results of the top 10 drugs.

This research shows the total collateral damage of drug addiction. Not only do addicts cause harm to themselves – resulting in serious health conditions and sometimes death – but they cause harm to their family, friends, and society at large. The impact of drug addiction extends much further than a single user.

Remember, if you or someone you know is battling drug abuse or addiction, contact 12 Keys Recovery to learn more about how we can help.

Watch our video below to learn more about the collateral damage of addiction:

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