Baby Boomers and Elderly Drug Abuse on the Rise
The article: Baby Boomers and Elderly Often Overlooked Substance Abusers cites the research below as the base for the discussion.
I clipped the research link so I could get back to the graphs. It’s quite shocking. Grandma and Grandpa are smoking as much pot as their grand-teens.
“Just as teens are having problems with prescription drugs, baby boomers, and the elderly often suffer more for their use and abuse of these drugs. It is extremely important then for you to monitor any family member who is elderly. Gathering as much information as possible about drug abuse is your first step. It may be a cliché, but forewarned is forearmed.”
(It’s 10 o’clock…do you know where your Granny is? All kidding aside, I can see why the older population would be even more susceptible to substance abuse. They have a lot more to deal with in this screwy economy than we do. Escapism exists at all levels).
Trends in prescription drug abuse
4.7 million Americans used prescription drugs nonmedically
2.5 million used pain relievers
1.2 million used tranquilizers
761,000 used stimulants
225,000 used sedatives
Older adults
Persons 65 years of age and above comprise only 13 percent of the population, yet account for approximately one-third of all medications prescribed in the United States.
The elderly also are at risk for prescription drug abuse, in which they intentionally take medications that are not medically necessary.
The NIDA Monitoring the Future survey of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders found that the nonmedical use of opioids, tranquilizers, sedatives/barbiturates, and amphetamines was unchanged between 2003 and 2004. Specifically, the survey found that 5.0 percent of 12th-graders reported using OxyContin without a prescription in the past year, and 9.3 percent reported using Vicodin, making Vicodin one of the most commonly abused licit drugs in this population.
Gender differences
Read more at www.drugabuse.gov
