Baby Boomers More Likely to Need Senior Drug Abuse Treatment
According to a recent report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA), the need for drug abuse treatment services for seniors is likely to double over the next ten years.
SAMHSA cites that the baby boom generation has a high rate of lifetime drug use. As that population ages, the
number of adults using illicit drugs is also likely to rise. While the current generation of senior citizens is more
likely to use prescription drugs for non-medical purposes, the upcoming generation of seniors is more likely to
use drugs like marijuana instead. Last year, roughly 4.7% of adults—roughly 4.3 million people—aged 50 and
older used an illicit drug. Among those aged 50 to 54, 8.5% of men and 3.9% of women used marijuana. The full
report is available online for free at the SAMHSA Web site.
Source: (McKnight’s, 1/12)