We hear so much about the danger and potency of drugs – everything from crystal meth to marijuana – that it might come as a surprise to see the respective lethality thresholds for a number of legal, controlled, and illegal substances. Is it true that only a few grams of cocaine is enough to get you hooked or even kill you? How much alcohol does someone have to drink before they’re in serious trouble? Seeing a visual representation of the lethal doses of drugs might give you an idea of how truly dangerous and devastating some of these substances can be.
It may be a surprise to see alcohol on this list of lethal drugs, but it’s true – alcohol is a drug, although it doesn’t rub shoulders with street drugs like cocaine, ecstasy, and heroin. If it can be said that alcohol is absorbed by an organism to modify the organism’s functions, then by that definition, alcohol is considered a drug.[1] This opens up a very wide umbrella for a number of harmless substances to be called “drugs,” but that’s also why we go to a “drugstore” to buy over-the-counter (OTC) medication.
Since OTC drugs are benign, by nature and design, it’s not easy to determine the dosage of one of those drugs for it to be lethal. As Slate explains, the number of fatalities as a result of an OTC overdose are so small that they are statistically insignificant, especially when compared to how easily – and notoriously – controlled and illegal drugs can kill with just the slightest amount.[2]
Painkillers
As a prescription medication, the lethal amount of OxyContin depends on whether a patient has developed a tolerance to opioids by way of being exposed to other opioid medications. Someone who has just started taking OxyContin might be at risk for an overdose with a single dose of 40 mg, or an accumulative daily dose of 80 mg.[6]
Lethal Dose = 40-80mg
Meth
The lethal dose of crystal meth depends on the purity of the meth itself. It also depends on the temperature of the meth pipe, the smoking technique, the number of puffs, and the drug tolerance of the user.[7] Binge-level use of crystal meth can approach 5,000 mg a day.
Lethal Dose = Depends Upon Purity
Xanax
Alprazolam, the generic name of Xanax, is significantly more toxic than other benzodiazepines.[8] Like most other prescription medication, the lethality of Xanax depends on the patient’s other risk factors, such as tolerance, body weight, and previous exposure to alprazolam. For some, 2 mg of Xanax at a time could prove fatal.
Lethal Dose = 2mg
Citations
[1] “Alcohol is a Drug.” (n.d.) Sociology Department, State University of New York. Accessed January 17, 2015.
[2] “What the Most Dangerous Over-the-Counter Drug?” (December 2011). Slate. Accessed January 17, 2015.
[3] “Cocaine and Crack Cocaine Drug Profile.” (January 2015). European Monitoring Centre for Drugs & Drug Addiction. Accessed January 17, 2015.
[4] “Heroin Drug Profile.” (January 2015). European Monitoring Centre for Drugs & Drug Addiction. Accessed January 17, 2015.
[5] “Alcohol Overdose: The Dangers of Drinking Too Much.” (July 2013). National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Accessed January 17, 2015.
[6] “OxyContin Overdose: How Much Amount of OxyContin to OD?” (May 2012). Addiction Blog. Accessed January 17, 2015.
[7] “Pharmacologic Mechanisms of Crystal Meth.” (June 2008). Canadian Medical Association Journal. Accessed January 17, 2015.
[8] “Alprazolam is Relatively More Toxic Than Other Benzodiazepines in Overdose.” (July 2004). British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Accessed January 17, 2015.
[9] “Girl, 15, Who Died After Ecstasy Overdose Told Her Friends Not to Call Ambulance” (August 2012). The Guardian. Accessed January 17, 2015.
