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Admissions for Drug Treatment Up for Older Adults
Agencies start new campaign aimed at seniors - Do the
Right Dose
 May
5, 2005 - Admissions for substance abuse treatment increased by 32
percent among older adults over the eight-year period 1995- 2002,
concludes a new study released today by the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). SAMHSA, with the support of
other government agencies, is launching a new campaign aimed at
educating senior citizens on the use of pain relievers.
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Percentages of Past Month Cigarette, Alcohol, and Illicit
Drug Use among Older and Younger Adults: 2002 and 2003 |
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Percentages of Past Month Cigarette, Alcohol, and Illicit
Drug Use among Older Adults, by Gender: 2002 and 2003 |
The new report, "Older Adults in Substance Abuse
Treatment: Update," found that the percent of older adults with opiates
as their primary substance of abuse increased from 6.8 percent to 12
percent in this time period. Opiates include prescription pain
medications and heroin. Opiates are the second most frequent reason for
treatment admissions among older adults, after alcohol.
To counter the upward trend in the abuse of
opiates, SAMHSA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are
sponsoring new advertisements to encourage older adults to "Do The Right
Dose" when using prescription pain relievers.
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Report Highlights |
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Substance Use Among Older Adults: 2002 & 2003
Update
> Based on SAMHSA's 2002 and
2003 National Surveys on Drug Use & Health (NSDUH), an annual
average of 13.7 million persons aged 50 or older (17.1%) smoked
cigarettes and 36 million (45.5%) drank alcohol during the past
month.
> About 12.2% of older
adults reported binge alcohol use and 3.2% reported heavy
alcohol use. A binge drinker is defined as a person who drank
five or more drinks on the same occasion on at least one day in
the past 30 days.
> Among older adults, 1.4
million (1.8%) used an illicit drug during the past month.
Marijuana was the most commonly used illicit drug (used by 1.1%
older adults), followed by prescription-type drugs used
nonmedically (0.7%), and cocaine (0.2%).
Older Adults in Substance Abuse Treatment,
1995-2002 trends
> Trends in the substance
abuse treatment admissions of adults age 55 or older reported to
SAMHSA's Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) show an increase of
32% in the number of older adult admissions between 1995 to
2002.
> Alcohol was the most
frequently reported primary substance of abuse among older
adults for each of these years. Primary alcohol admissions among
older adults increased 19% for men and 24% for women: from
33,100 men and 7,000 women in 1995 to 39,300 men and 8,700 women
in 2002.
> Primary drug admissions
among older adults increased 106% for men and 119% for women:
from 6,200 men and 1,600 women in 1995 to 12,800 men and 3,500
women in 2002.
> Substance abuse treatment
admissions rates among older adults tended to be highest in
northern and northeastern States. |
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"We are only beginning to realize the pervasiveness
of substance abuse among older adults," SAMHSA Administrator Charles
Curie said. "We have made older adults a priority at SAMHSA and we are
working to advance understanding of the relationship between aging and
substance abuse, and to provide practical information for incorporating
our understanding into treatment services. Through the materials we are
releasing today, we are reaching out now to older adults to warn them
that prescription pain relievers are safe and effective when used
correctly, but could lead to abuse and addiction if misused."
"FDA collaborated with SAMHSA to develop these
public education materials because our agencies have a shared goal to
communicate accurate health information on the proper use of
prescription pain medications," said FDA Deputy Commissioner for
Operations Dr. Janet Woodcock. "While SAMHSA's data indicate significant
growth in opiate abuse, we are just as concerned about those cases of
addiction to pain medications that go underdiagnosed. We want to send a
clear message to older adults that emphasizes the need to take pain
relievers as directed."
The "Do The Right Dose" campaign includes two print
ads, one television public service announcement, 2 radio public service
announcements, two posters, and an update of SAMHSA's brochure "As You
Age." The campaign will strive to educate older adults that prescription
pain medications are safe and effective when used correctly, but if
misused, could lead to addiction or other problems.
Alcohol is still the primary substance of abuse
among older adults, but the proportion of older admissions reporting
alcohol as their primary substance declined from 86.5 percent in 1995 to
77.5 percent in 2002. Drug admissions among those ages 55 and older
increased by 106 percent for men and 119 percent for women between 1995
and 2002.
The "Do The Right Dose" campaign also has the
support of the Administration on Aging, which works to warn older adults
that medicine must be taken appropriately and dosages cannot be altered
by patients without consequences.
"The Administration on Aging (AoA) is proud of its collaboration with
other federal agencies such as SAMHSA and FDA to help in providing older
Americans with key information that will help them in their fight
against substance abuse," said Assistant Secretary Josefina G. Carbonell.
"Educating older Americans about management of prescription drugs is a
critical component in lowering substance abuse among our elders."
The report is available on the web at
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/aging.htm. The "As You Age" brochure is
available from SAMHSA's clearinghouse at 1-800- 729-6686 or
http://www.ncadi.samhsa.gov/. The posters, print Public Service
Announcements and other materials are on line at asyouage.samhsa.gov/dotherightdose.
SAMHSA, a public health agency within the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead federal agency for
improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention,
addiction treatment and mental health services in the United States.
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration
Web site:
http://www.samhsa.gov/
http://www.ncadi.samhsa.gov/
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/aging.htm
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