USA Today: Senior drug addicts increasing

[truthpusher]

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20050121/a_addicts21.art.htm

Senior drug addicts increasing

USA must prepare for their treatment, abuse experts say

By Charisse Jones
USA TODAY

NEW YORK — Evelyn Barnette first got high when she was 19, and for nearly 40 years hid her marijuana and cocaine use behind a mask of respectability. She began using crack three years ago, and that nearly devoured her soul. Thoughts of suicide finally compelled her to seek help.

(snip)

It is a largely unforeseen consequence of the aging of America. As the elderly population continues to grow and baby boomers move into their senior years,the number of older adults who abuse drugs — from pain pills to marijuana and cocaine — is increasing. And the nation should prepare to meet the special needs of older addicts, says Ron Hunsicker of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers.

“There's such a huge increase in the number of folks 55 and older happening that we're seeing a lot more people in that group using illegal drugs,” says Marvin Seppala, chief medical officer of the Hazelden Foundation, an alcohol and drug rehabilitation center based in Center City, Minn.

(snip)

“There's kind of a laissez-faire attitude. ‘Why deal with that? He's already 75. Who cares if he keeps using?' ” Seppala says. “And the truth is it could hurt significantly.”

more:

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20050121/a_addicts21.art.htm

[Ezlivin]

1. I thought that drug use would kill off all these people

From what I've been told by the gov't, drug use is a killer.

Next thing you know we're going to find out that marijuana has medical purposes!

:shrug:

[Chicago Democrat]

5. Drugs don't kill people, governments and corporations do...

This is your brain on Fox....


Any questions?

[Ezlivin]

8. Drug user is deadly! It drives you mad! But we need

you to pee into this cup and to run a laboratory assessment on it to determine whether or not you are actually using (or have used) drugs.

You'd think that crazed, sick drug users would be easy to point out. But it turns out that the only way to catch them is through sensitive chemical tests; they just don't show it in any other way.

:wtf:

[Trillo]

23. I've got to wonder if those laboratory assessments

really are restricted only to "illegal drugs". Who knows, maybe they're really running genetics tests to find aliens from other worlds, or something equally "out there". :)

I just don't know, and am tired of finding out years later I was lied to.

[napi21]

2. I dodn't read the entire article, but it's probably right.

I'm 61 and if I knew where to get MJ and could afford it, I'd probably use it too.

I happen to think the war on drugs is a loosing battle and they should revise it dramatically. Legalize MJ, clamp down harder on crack and coke.

Face it folks, you lost the war. Let's move on!

[UL_Approved]

3. Grandma is a crack whore?

What will they thing of next? :puke:

[CountAllVotes]

4. don't doctors just add to this "problem"?

Seems to me that doctors are responsible for a lot of this. They prescribe so many drugs to senior citizens. It becomes and endless load of crap.

:kick:

[Warpy]

10. They prescribe all sorts of drugs

for everything but PAIN. If they bothered treating PAIN, there would likely be less of all the chronic, stress related illnesses we're currently plagued with.

[Dulcinea]

22. As Chris Rock once said....

"Ain't no money in the cure. The money is in the treatment."

[NMDemDist2]

6. alcohol in the 40's, drugs in the present

same disease, different symptoms

[CountAllVotes]

7. I agree with you AZDem!

Yep the new craze for the millenium, drugs rather than alcohol and tobacco. Still the next generation up - the WWIIers sure drink/smoke quite a bit I've noticed.

:kick:

[NC_Nurse]

9. I took care of a 63 year old man

that wrecked his car while high on coke and alcohol. I had a patient last week who was about 50 who had Hep C from long term drug use...she looked about 70.
I wonder who they think they're kidding with the war on drugs crap. People will use drugs, period. That is not going to change. Do we want to decriminalize drugs so they aren't afraid to seek help and thus help ourselves? Or do we want to continue to blame/shame and continue this game where everybody loses?
Don't answer, I already know what the verdict will be. Like Geroge Carlin said "We are a war-like people...we declare war on everything: War on Drugs, War on Poverty, War on Terrorism" .
Gotta keep the us/them dynamic going! How else would we justify spending all that money on hiring drug czars 'nstuff!

[donsu]

11. but it's OK to get addicted to pharm. pills? it's a fight folks

who is going to get the money: the pharm corps. or the independents? actually it's a war.

[NC_Nurse]

12. And another thing

Nothing pisses me off more than a bunch of so called "respectable people" who frequent the cocktail circuit and smoke like stacks looking down on drug users and calling them criminals and losers, etc.
They're all drugs....prescriptions, Budweisers, Marlboros...WAKE UP!
Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's not addictive or dangerous.

Sheesh! :crazy:

[truthpusher]

13. Yeah! n/t

[BiggJawn]

14. What a choice I'm given as I age!

Numb myself to the OUTRAGE that Merka has become by practicing obsessive Consumerism, or use Dope and go to jail, thus providing more income for the Wackenhut "Corrections" industry...

The BFEE wins anyway you look at it.

[sweetheart]

15. benign drug use is not accepted as a possibility by these wankers

I'm part of this aging group of cannabis smokers, and i know many much
older, who are helping fund their UK pensions forecast by growing some
grass on the side. It seems the future for pensioners in england
especially where council tax rises and whatnot have increased above
their fixed income pensions.

Cannabis is a great medicinal herb, just what they hate about it is that
you don't pay any money to big pharma when you grow your own grass in
the back garden. As usual, the bias is towards screwing those who
can avoid paying the mandatory tax to big pharma... nauseating really.

Legallize MJ and let people to grow their own plants. It seems the
real crime is that when you're super stoned, you're not as likely to
be a good consumer at the shopping mall... content with a smoke and
some tunes... no crime at all.

[salin]

16. Forgive my cynicism ... but...

I sniff a manufactured "crisis" here that will lead to a new meme...

ala "we need to stop funding SS because people just use it to feed their drug habit...."

this reaction, though, may just be my cynicism at how easily it seems that parts of the media are brought into action to push the newest next phase of propoganda propogation.

[truthpusher]

17. pretty cynical...

...and kind of a stretch...but good effort :evilgrin:

[salin]

18. Can't help it...

sorta recalled an echo of the Reagan "cadillac welfare mom cheat"... and while the facts indicated that the level of fraud implied by Reagan was teeny weeny (at the same time there was a much bigger and real problem of doctors, hospitals and other industry players scamming medicare and medicaid)... but the meme took off - and is still used by the right today. The effectiveness of that meme - still leaves me cynical whenm I read items like this - especially when the timing is so aligned with a push to essentially cripple social security...

[truthpusher]

20. I am upset about the Social Security item as well...

...but on this article would go further regarding drug legalization than anything in my opinion. Just imagine a 70 year old having to go out and score drugs? how about that?

[salin]

21. to the nutball right

and those they are able to "scare" in line through politicized pulpits... I hardly doubt there is appeal, even with this story, for drug decrimanlization. However, villifying soc security recipients and trying to frame ss as a "welfare" program that is subsidizing drug addicts - while a completely laughable image (and realistically most folks do have senior relatives and wouldn't fall for the image)... might fit with their anti subsidize anything that might include "evils" sorta kneejerk sentiments.

[The Zanti Regent]

19. Now that's a novel way to fix Social Security...

...just have the elderly OD on narcotics! I guess Euthanasia is OK as long as it is done in the name of Je$u$!

(SARCASM MODE NOW OFF)

[GoldenOldie]

24. Cheaper to buy illegal narcotic than legal drugs to help medical problems

If you can't afford the medicine that your doctor prescribes, why not buy some crack on the street corner....at least it would give momentary relief and it cost a heck of a lot less than what the Pharmaceutical Corporations want.

Because Canada has been willing to fill American prescriptions and sell to Americans, Merck & CO are now telling Canada they will no longer provide them enough drugs to do this. So much for free enterprise.

[sweetheart]

25. Even cheaper to have some plants in the yard

Cannabis is easily grown from a few seed readily available from a
gazillion sources the world over... and seniors can sell any excess from
their medicinal use to cover for the pensions shortfall of the bush
economic collapse.

Ironic it is, that by keeping it illegal, the taxpayer subsidizes the
street price so that the older cannibis growing population can get good
value for their gardening efforts. :-)

Fact is, that no war on drugs will end drugs use, rather only making
sure that those who use such drugs get safe, clean supplies so that
their use is less harmful. What an ugly world we live in when the law
is the determined enemy of human goodwill.

[Ernesto]

26. WTF did we expect?

Many of us graying panthers were there in the '60's if you'd care to check the facts.