Substance Abuse News

Older adults are not only becoming a larger proportion of the U.S. population, they are also using and co-using alcohol and other substances at a growing rate. Almost half (49.2 percent) of the participants reported alcohol use, and nearly 10 percent reported heavy drinking at least once in the previous month. Higher consumption of alcohol and heavy drinking were significantly associated with cannabis/THC use, smoking cigarettes, and vaping nicotine, as well as using pain medication, stimulants, cocaine, and other non-prescription drugs. Exposure to certain drinking situations and contexts – such as friends/family visiting – was positively associated with a greater quantity of alcohol use. Read more...