alcohol can cause death from withdrawal, cesures etc, but so can cocaine, and heroine, diazepam, antidepressant anti psychotics, painkilloers.

i think chatty what perhaps the writer of the article was trying to convey was just taking physical damage alone alcohol can take some time to destroy liver etc. heroine cocaine are also physically addictive (as alcohol can also be physically addictive) but just by physical means heroine, speed and say cocaine will alter brain and bodie functions more quickly and the time of using untill death from just physical means will be much much shorter.

in reality any drug can couse accidental death, accidental overdose or accidental in trying to drive, walk in front of a car, fall asleep smoking etc. I think cannibise is one of drugs that is very hard to physically overdose on as the amount relativly substantial before bodie can not cope with the drug in its system and dies.

i think we all agree that addiction and death from addiction to any drug is horrendous (i include alcohol as a drug)look up ethanol, and you see its a poison to the bodie, the rest is all colourings and flavours but all alcohol comes from the one source.

so rate of death and damage is always quicker with narcotic drugs, alcohole can be as harmless as gum but the same can never be said for heroine or cocaine etc..

so he's right but unless he's explained it properly he's just not doing a very good job as a writer

hope mine and others answers helped for you