What causes more deaths, illegal or legal drugs (including tobacco, alcohol, over-the-counter drugs, and prescription drugs)?

Here’s some info @snowberry. I’m still looking.

http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/rxbrief/

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db81.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/pdf/poison-issue-brief.pdf

Thanks, I’ll send her a link to this question. I so appreciate your help!

This article is very biased, but it does link and attribute some very good sources.

http://healthimpactnews.com/2012/legal-drugs-vs-illegal-drugs-are-we-fighting-the-right-war/

This is one source from the above article:

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5605a1.htm

It’s strange that these statistics are 2009 and older. I thought they’d have a little more recent stats. It’s what she found too.

I couldn’t find anything more recent either. I wonder how often the CDC revises studies?

Oh, don’t get me started on this subject! I find it so hypocritical that our politicians think it is so necessary to persecute/prosecute pot smokers, but I have never heard of anyone dying from an overdose of pot! But I have heard of people dying from a myriad of “legal” substances.

As far as which is more lethal, legal or illegal drugs – I have not looked up any studies, but I think it would be a contest too close to call.

Tobacco.

Stress. Plain & simple.
Short of prescription meds being abused, or, accidental overdose or death from lethal combinations of such, the vast majority of people self medicate as a means of coping with stress.

Inability to cope with life stressors and unresolved emotional/psychological issues are the number 1 reason for most addictive behaviors that may result in death.

Yeah, thanks @Coloma and @Aster but I was not looking for opinions, but websites that offered current statistics on deaths due to drugs, both illegal and illegal.

@snowberry

I understand, but, it’s still a truth, not an opinion.
Maybe research the surgeon generals report of a few years ago about stress being the number one killer, surpassing that of smoking. Read this at some point in time, cannot reference, but, a search will yield results I am sure. :-)

@Coloma I believe that! I have suspected it for decades. There are also studies that support it.

@Skaggfacemutt Yep, I’m a beleiver too, and again, what causes people to be driven to unhealthy behavior, stress! ;-)

@Coloma, @Aster, etc Yeah, but she’s NOT been assigned to write a paper about stress; she’s writing one about drugs. Thanks for trying, but thumbs down for your answers.