Understanding Psychedelic Mortality and the Relative Harms of Drugs

In the realm of drug policy and public health, understanding the comparative harm of various substances is crucial. A groundbreaking study titled “Drug harms in the UK: a multicriteria decision analysis,” published by David Nutt, Leslie King, and Lawrence Phillips in The Lancet, offers compelling insights into this issue. This blog post delves into the study’s findings and explores their implications for our understanding of drug harm and policy making.

A New Approach to Assessing Drug Harm

Traditionally, discussions about drug harm are often skewed by societal and media perceptions, which do not always align with scientific evidence. The study by Nutt and his colleagues challenges these misconceptions through a rigorous scientific framework known as multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA). This approach evaluates the harm of drugs across multiple dimensions, including health damage to users, mortality, impact on others, and broader societal effects.

Key Findings

The study’s results are revealing: substances like heroin, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine rank as the most harmful to individuals, owing to their high potential for addiction and their physical health impacts. However, when considering broader societal effects, alcohol emerges as the most harmful drug. This is due to its widespread use and the significant social, economic, and health burdens it imposes on others, including health care costs, family adversities, and community safety.

The Disparity Between Public Perception and Scientific Evidence

One of the study’s most striking conclusions is the discrepancy between the public perception of drug harm and the actual data. For instance, substances like LSD and mushrooms, often viewed with considerable societal skepticism, show remarkably low harm scores in both personal and social dimensions. This finding suggests that current drug policies, which frequently penalize the use of psychedelics, may be based more on cultural stigma than on objective harm assessment.

Implications for Drug Policy

The implications of this study are profound for drug policy. By providing a clear, evidence-based ranking of drug harms, the research supports a more nuanced approach to drug legislation and public health strategies. For policymakers, re-evaluating the legal status and penalties associated with less harmful drugs like psychedelics could lead to more effective health and social outcomes. Furthermore, the high harm scores associated with legal substances like alcohol and tobacco call for renewed focus on public health strategies aimed at reducing their use and mitigating their impact.

Reported Psychedelic Mortality Rates

In this study and many other studies that report on mortality rates by substance, psychedelics continue to fall well below other more commonly used substances like tobacco and alcohol for both harm to the individual and psycho-social harm to the community at large.

"Deaths from psychedelics are so rare, they aren't even visible when compared to deaths from tobacco, alcohol, murder and even lightning strikes. You are more likely to die from a lightning strike than from taking any psychedelic drug. This is because psychedelics, especially entheogens and natural substances, have no known long term physical side effects, and do not harm any of the body's organs. Deaths from psychedelics are so rare, it is impossible to find any figure for annual death rates for any country in the world." - Gustavo Serrano

Psychedelic Mortality: Psilocybin

Psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in certain types of mushrooms, is known for its low toxicity and minimal risk of fatal overdose. Research and historical data suggest that deaths directly caused by psilocybin are extremely rare; there are no known cases of mortality.

Psychedelic Mortality: LSD

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is another psychedelic with a very low physiological toxicity and a high safety margin. Deaths directly attributed to LSD overdoses are virtually nonexistent, although the substance can lead to hazardous behaviors if used improperly.

Psychedelic Motality: DMT

DMT (dimethyltryptamine), often used in religious ceremonies and known for its intense psychedelic experiences, also shows a very low risk of fatality from physiological overdose. Like other psychedelics, negative incidents typically stem from behavioral responses during the experience rather than the substance’s toxicity.

Conclusion: Psychedelic Mortality May Be Lower Than You Thought

The landmark study provides a clear, scientific basis for rethinking how society evaluates and responds to different drugs. For organizations like SPAN, which support  informed and safe decision making around psychedlic use, these insights are invaluable. They underscore the need for policies that are not only based on rigorous scientific data but also aligned with the actual risks and benefits of substance use.

Understanding and addressing the real harms of drugs, without prejudice, could lead to more effective health interventions and a more rational, humane approach to drug policy.

For those interested in reading the full study, it provides a comprehensive look at the methodology and detailed findings that could help inform more balanced drug policies. Read the full study here.

By shifting the conversation from stigma and perception to science-based evidence, we can hope to see significant advancements in the ways drugs are understood and managed in society.