Heroin ranks at the number one spot with an overall ranking of 6.1, followed closely by Opioids and Alcohol with overall scores of 4.89, and 4.17 respectively.
Tobacco, Marijuana, and Hallucinogens users rank as the least toxic drug communities with overall scores of -1.89, 0.47, and 0.85, respectively.
Heroin’s mental effects can be associated with the high toxicity seen among its users. The sudden high sensation, also known as the “heroin rush,” can stimulate aggression resulting in violent behaviors. Long-term side effects such as memory loss and depression can be linked to the high proportion of mentally negative activities, mood changes, suicidal behaviors, psychological dependence, and addiction.
Heroin dependence and addiction are some of the common challenges among heroin users. Frequent injections can lead to infections of the blood vessels or cause collapsed veins. Sharing needles is a common addict lifestyle that can lead to contiguous infections.
Opioids and Alcohol were also shown to be more toxic compared to the least ranked drug-user communities: Tobacco/nicotine/vaping, Marijuana, and Hallucinogens. The reason for this varying trend can be linked to the side effects of each drug. For example, tobacco/nicotine is addictive but has no serious mental or psychological effects. Marijuana, on the other hand, has been widely studied with major concerns pointed on the side effects of smoking it.
Source: https://americanmarijuana.org/toxic-substance-consumers/
