Health and social services in the United Kingdom are stressed as many drug users age and have chronic health problems. Researchers interviewed eleven people aged 49 to 61 currently in drug and alcohol treatment programs.
"This exploratory study, together with our wider research, suggest that older people who continue to use problematic or illegal drugs are emerging as an important, but relatively under-researched, international population," said study author Brenda Roe, Professor of Health Research at Edge Hill University.
‘They are a vulnerable group, as their continued drug use, addiction and life experiences result in impaired health chronic conditions, particular health needs and poorer quality of life. Despite this, services for older drug addicts are not widely available or accessed in the United Kingdom."
In the United States, it is estimated that the number of people over 50 seeking treatment will have risen from 1.7 million in 2000 to 4.4 million by 2020. The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction estimates that the number of people over the age of 65 needing drug and alcohol treatment in Europe will double over the same time period.
