Drug Abuse on the Rise in Baby Boomers

Drug Abuse on the Rise in Baby Boomers: "Drug abuse among Americans aged 50 and older has risen sharply in recent years, with admissions for treatment nearly doubling between 1992 and 2008, new research indicates.
Although alcohol is still the leading substance abuse cause of hospital admissions for people in this age group, studies show older Americans are also turning to illicit drugs in large numbers.
A study of admissions data by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), part of the Department of Health and Human Services, finds that:
Marijuana abuse exploded among the older age group in the period studied, with admissions for treatment rising from 0.6% to 2.9%.
Cocaine abuse nearly quadrupled, from 2.9% to 11.4%.
Heroin abuse more than doubled, from 7.2% to 16%.
Prescription drug abuse jolted from 0.7% to 3.5%.
Admissions related to alcohol abuse decreased from 84.6% in 1992 to 59.9% in 2008, but it is still the main cause of treatment for substance abuse, according to the SAMHSA research."