The 8 Most Dangerous Drugs, and Why You Should Avoid Them

Believe it or not: It is not just illegal drugs that are dangerous. A few of the “Most Dangerous Drugs” we have on our list might even surprise you. Our recommendation is to steer clear of the substances on our shortlist, and we even offer a few reasons you should consider before consuming.

8 Most Dangerous Drugs

1. Alcohol
2. Fentanyl
3. Opioids
4. Benzodiazepines
5. Cocaine/Crack
6. Heroin
7. Methamphetamine
8. Tobacco

1) Alcohol

Alcohol is the third-leading cause of preventable death; tobacco is the #1 killer, followed by poor diet and inactivity. Alcohol misuse leads to 95,000 annual alcohol-related deaths in the United States.

The way alcohol is celebrated and socially accepted means it is also one of the most difficult substances to quit if you develop alcohol use disorder. According to the 2019 NSDUH (National Survey on Drug Use and Health), 25% of over-18-year-olds reported binge drinking, while 14.5 million satisfied the criteria for alcohol use disorder.

Alcohol abuse triggers a battery of negative health outcomes, both short-term and long-term. With the right combination of medication-assisted treatment and psychotherapy, though, you can recover from even severe AUD.

2) Fentanyl

Fentanyl is an incredibly lethal synthetic opioid and more than 50 times stronger than heroin. Once used to treat moderate to severe pain in a hospital setting, most fentanyl today is illicitly-manufactured.

Many suppliers cut or lace heroin with fentanyl. It is cheap to produce and increases the potency of the heroin dramatically. Increasingly, black-market prescription opioids like Oxycodone and Vicodin are illegally pressed pills containing fentanyl. Unfortunately, and especially for unsuspecting end users, this can lead to injecting the usual amount of heroin only to fatally overdose due to the extra potency.

If you are addicted to fentanyl, you should seek professional treatment rather than attempting to quit cold turkey.

3) Opioids

The opioid epidemic has been battering the U.S. for more than two decades. In the late 1990s, pharmaceutical companies lobbied the medical community to prescribe semi-synthetic opioid painkillers more widely. Until then, these drugs were only used to treat pain in patients with terminal cancer.

Companies like Purdue Pharma downplayed the addictive potential of these medications, claiming they were safe to use. As millions of Americans discovered, opioids are strongly addictive as tolerance builds quickly. The high potential for misuse, and especially high overdose rates, makes this category of drugs especially deadly.

4) Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines, commonly abbreviated to benzos, are prescription medications typically used to treat anxiety disorders and panic disorders. According to CDC data, benzos played a role in almost one-third of overdose deaths in 2017.

Used short-term, benzos are remarkably efficient, alleviating the symptoms of these disorders and providing quick relief. Unfortunately, tolerance rapidly builds and you can soon find yourself dependent on this drug. When used in combination with other drugs like alcohol or opioids, the risk of experiencing negative side effects is increased.

Trying to discontinue use is challenging and results in uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. Often, you will experience rebound symptoms, where the symptoms you were using benzodiazepines to treat return sometimes even more intensely.