An U.S. officials said that the declining of the baby boom generation is leading to a powerful increase in levels of illicit drug use in adults who are more than 50 and older.
Pamela S. Hyde, official of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said that with increasing cases, there will be a need to double the substance abuse treatment services required for present population by 2020.
The report, “Illicit Drug Use among Older Adults,” found that there are nearly 4.3 million adults of age more than 50 , or 4.7 percent, who took an illicit drug in the previous year.
9 percent of men of age in between 50-54 or less had taken marijuana in the previous year, whereas there are 3.9 percent of women in this age group who did it.
Even though marijuana use was very common compared to illegal use of prescription drugs in adults age between 50-59, in the adults of age 65 and older, non-medical use of prescription drugs was very common than marijuana.
The report is derived on data acquired (2006-08) from a nationally typical sample of 19,921 adults of age 50 and older who took part in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health.