Drug Use Increasing among Baby Boomers

A federal government report revealed that illicit drug use among Americans ages 50 to 59 has increased from 5.1 percent in 2002 to 9.4 percent in 2005. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) said the increase occurred because some baby boomers—those born between 1946 and 1964—continue to use drugs as they get older.

“It’s just a wake up call for us that we need to pay attention and begin thinking about how we’re going to address this in society," said Dr. Peter Delany with the U.S. Public Health Service Studies.

Most commonly used among those surveyed marijuana and prescription medications. "This is really being driven by people who had used drugs earlier in life and had pretty much continued to use it," Delany said. Most said they began using drugs before the age of 30.

During that same five-year period, rates of illicit drug use among all other age groups remained the same or decreased, SAMHSA said. The continued use of illicit drugs by aging baby boomers "is likely to put further strains on the nation’s health care system," said Eric Broderick, the agency’s acting administrator, the Associated Press reported.

Illegal drug use later in life may pose additional health risks. "If someone has high blood pressure we know that using drugs can affect that and using many drugs will raise the blood pressure over time," said Delany.

Health officials hope for a cultural shift to abstinence among baby boomers who may spent have much their lives using.