Woodstock Generation Continues to Use Drugs

Public Health Concern Poses Medical Risks Specific to Baby Boomers

Sep 1, 2009

Bachelors who drink and smoke, live in the West, are unemployed, depressed, on disability and who don't go to church are more likely to use drugs, according to SAMHSA.

The recently released report also cites education level as a factor in Baby Boomer drug use.

Authors Beth Han, Joseph Gfroerer, and James Colliver say the report, "An Examination of Trends in Illicit Drug Use among Adults Aged 50 to 59 in the United States" is the first in a series of new scientific reports being published periodically by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Office of Applied Studies, that will provide detailed analyses on important substance abuse and mental health issues challenging the nation and the healthcare system.

Substance abuse among older Americans has become a growing public health threat in recent years as members of the baby boom cohort (persons born between 1946 and 1964) reach their 50s and 60s. In 1996, the oldest members of the baby boom cohort reached the age of 50. By 2007, all persons aged 50 to 59 in the United States were baby boomers.

Among persons aged 50 to 59, the rate of current illicit drug use increased from 2.7 percent in 2002 to 5 percent in 2007. The number of adults aged 50 or older with past year substance use disorder is projected to more than double from 2.8 million annually in 2002 to 2006, to 5.7 million in 2020 in the United States.

Drug Use Up Among Baby Boomers

The authors say increases in past year illicit drug use among persons aged 50 to 59 between 2002 and 2007 have been driven primarily by the aging of the baby boom cohort, which has a much higher lifetime illicit drug use rate than earlier cohorts, representing an increasing proportion of persons aged 50 to 59.

“These findings show that many in the Woodstock generation continue to use illicit drugs as they age,” SAMHSA Acting Administrator Eric Broderick, D.D.S., M.P.H, said.

“This continued use poses medical risks to these individuals and is likely to put further strains of the nation’s health care system -- highlighting the value of preventing drug use from ever starting,” Broderick said.

The report analyzes many aspects of this phenomenon including the types of illicit substances involved, different demographic and behavioral factors associated with higher rates of use, and other issues.

Statistics in the report indicate polysubstance use among the subjects including marijuana and non-medical use of prescription drugs.

Participants in the Study

The data used in the analysis comes from 16,656 respondents aged 50 to 59 participating in the 2002 through 2007 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health. Data were also analyzed from 51,474 respondents born during the 1943 to 1962 time period and 16,656 respondents aged 50 to 59 from the 2002 to 2007 said the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health.

Almost 90 percent of past year users initiated drug use before age 30, with initiation after age 50 being extremely rare. About 1 in 7 lifetime drug users, used drugs in the past year at age 50 to 59.

Characteristics associated with continued use of illicit drugs among this age group are male gender, unmarried status, early age of drug initiation, living in the West region, having low education and income, unemployed due to disability, using alcohol and tobacco in the past year, having past year major depressive episode, and rarely attending religious services.

With current and anticipated future increases of aging adults using illicit drugs, the United States faces the challenge of reducing drug use and treating drug use disorders and associated health conditions in this segment of the population, the report said.

The copyright of the article Woodstock Generation Continues to Use Drugs in Substance Abuse is owned by Leslie McCloud. Permission to republish Woodstock Generation Continues to Use Drugs in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Sep 2, 2009 8:16 AM

Guest :

Since this data was derived from surveys, what it actually shows is that the group with the highest incident of illicit drug use is really just the group that is most likely to respond to a survey.

Those with higher education will naturally shun such surveys, as they will also screen their calls and mail, and be less likely to participate in such surveys.

This is just more junk science from a government that expects a certain result and then funds and cherry picks data to ensure that the expected results ensue.

Its really more like propaganda, isn't it?

Sep 2, 2009 11:28 AM

Leslie McCloud :

No, I do not see it as propaganda. I do not agree with you. I actually think that it is a growing public health threat as stated in the article. I do wonder, however, why smart people--as you state--are less likely to participate in a survey. That is a puzzling idea to ponder.