A panel of experts from the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs, in England, made the assessment that in looking at the entire picture of the damage that is caused by drug abuse-including the physical, psychological problems and their effects on the family and society, that alcohol was the most harmful of all-more than crack and cocaine. 
This is the drug that is easy to buy without embarrassment or fear of arrest and is associated with fine dining, holidays, and events for business professionals.
At a time when our prison system is overcrowded, it’s a shame that thousands of inmates have been taken away from their families and livelihood due to the use of drugs that may cause less harm than the drinking that society takes for granted and often glamorizes. The panelists determined that “alcohol is almost three times as harmful as cocaine.”