Groundbreaking CAMH study ranks alcohol as most harmful drug for Canadians

There’s plenty of research that shows the harms of consuming alcohol, but in a new first-of-its-kind study in Canada, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) says it’s the most harmful drug out there for Canadians.

The new study had 20 experts from across the country rank different types of drugs based on how harmful they are in different categories — which included the harm they cause to others around those using, the economic impacts, and how easy the drugs are to access.

If your ‘dry January’ challenge is going well, experts say you may want to consider extending it.

“I think that any amount of time that we spend re-evaluating our relationship with a substance and taking a break from it is probably a good thing,” said Dr. Dominique Morisano, a clinical psychologist and researcher.

A new study from CAMH Wednesday, published in the Journal of Psycho-Pharmacology, took a look at 16 different drugs, and how harmful they are for both the user and those around them.

The researchers gave alcohol a top score of 79 out of 100, ranking first in 9 of the 16 categories.

That was followed by tobacco at a distant second, ranking 45 out of 100.

That’s followed by non-prescription opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, and then cannabis, with a score of just 15.

“There are definitely some drugs that punch above their weight so to speak, in terms of harm scores, but are used by many fewer people,” said Jean-François Crépault, the lead author of the study. “I’m thinking of cocaine and methamphetamine.”

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That’s because the drugs are considered to be quite harmful, even though relatively fewer people use them, but that’s not the case for alcohol.

The study’s lead author says much of its high score comes from the fact that it’s easy to access, and ingrained in our culture.

“There’s decades worth of research to show when you make alcohol more available, or you decrease the price, or you increase the extent to which it’s promoted or marketed, those are all things that increase the use and so increase the harm,” said Crépault.

In 2024, the provincial government allowed convenience and grocery stores to start selling alcohol, making it more available to consumers.

Morisano, a clinical psychologist who works with people dealing with alcohol and drug addiction, says she’s not surprised alcohol topped the rankings.

“Seemingly out of sync with public health research and data, we have been making alcohol more easily accessible in our country and province,” said Morisano.

But she was surprised to see cannabis score so low, saying she’s seeing more clients struggle with dependence on the drug since it was legalized.

“I would say 10 to 20 years ago, it was more like 10 to 15 per cent of regular cannabis users had a problem,” said Morisano. “Now it’s closer to 30 per cent.”

Many researchers point to a 2018 study that says no alcohol consumption is safe, and that any is linked to higher mortality rates, cancer and liver disease.

The federal government’s most recent guidance suggests Canadians should have two or fewer standard drinks per week.

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