With health care now one of the country’s most controversial and debated topics, the increase in substance abuse among aging baby boomers and the treatment needed to help them may fail due to an overburdened system.
According to a new study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the need for substance abuse treatment among Americans over age 50 is expected to double by 2020.
"This new data has profound implications for the health and well-being of older adults who continue to abuse substances," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde. "These findings highlight the need for prevention programs for all ages as well as to establish improved screening and appropriate referral to treatment as part of routine health care services."
While substance abuse at any age can negatively affect a person’s physical and mental health, there are age-related physiological and social changes that makes older Americans more vulnerable to the effects of drug abuse.
A recent SAMHSA report says that an estimated 4.3 million adults aged 50 or older (4.7 percent) used an illicit drug in the past year. The report also says that 8.5 percent of men aged 50-54 had used marijuana in the past year. Marijuana use was more common than prescription drug abuse among males 50 and older (4.2 percent versus 2.3 percent), but among females the rates of marijuana use and prescription drugs were similar (1.7 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively). Marijuana use was more common than prescription drug use for adults aged 50-59, and prescription drug abuse by people aged 65 plus was on the rise.
If you or a loved one is struggling with an addiction to any substance, please call The Treatment Center or visit us on the web " We can restore hope."
