Alcohol costs Canada twice as much in social and economic consequences than illicit drugs, but most Canadians view illicit drugs as more harmful than alcohol, according to the Canadian Center on Substance Abuse.

A survey found that while 45 percent of Canadians view illicit drug abuse as a "very serious" problem, only 25 percent felt the same about alcohol abuse. However, past research estimates that alcohol abuse costs Canada $7.4 billion annually, compared to $3.6 billion for illicit drug use.

The study noted that while alcohol's positive aspects are heavily promoted, it's negative consequences tend to be underplayed by the media, while the negative consequences of illicit drug use get heavy media attention.

"The divergence between the perceived seriousness and actual costs points to the need to reset public misconceptions about the size and scope of illicit drug abuse in Canada, especially injection drug use, and to better educate Canadians about the significant and largely unrecognized risks of alcohol," said Rita Notarandrea, CCSA's director of research and policy.

The report is Comparing the Perceived Seriousness and Actual Costs of Substance Abuse in Canada.