Why Addiction in Older Adults Is Growing — and Hard to Detect
Thursday, July 2 2026 - Permalink
Binge DrinkingAddiction to prescription drugs and alcohol among older adults is rising in the U.S. but often goes undetected. In 2023, an estimated 6.4 million Medicare beneficiaries had a substance-use disorder, according to federal data. At the same time, overdose rates among adults 65 and older increased by about 11 percent from 2022 to 2023, based on CDC estimates. Alcohol remains the most common substance abuse problem, with more than 1 in 10 older adults reporting binge drinking, a rate that has increased significantly since the early 2000s. Read more...