Baby boomers still love to get high, now using prescription meds

(NaturalNews) Nearly one in 20 U.S. residents above the age of 50 regularly abuses illegal or prescription drugs, according to a report issued by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

"This new data has profound implications for the health and well being of older adults who continue to abuse substances," agency head Pamela Hyde said. "These findings highlight the need for prevention programs for all ages as well as to establish improved screening and appropriate referral to treatment as part of routine health care services."

Researchers warn that the number of Baby Boomers seeking drug abuse treatment is expected to double in the next 10 years.

According to the survey, 4.7 percent of adults over the age of 50 -- 4.3 million people -- have used an illicit drug in the past year. Forty-five percent of these reported using marijuana, 33 percent reported non-medical use of a prescription drug, and the remaining 22 percent reported using an illegal drug other than marijuana.

Men were more likely to use marijuana, with 4.2 percent of respondents reporting use of the drug in the past year and only 2.3 percent reporting prescription drug abuse. In contrast, 1.9 percent of women reported prescription drug abuse and 1.7 percent reported marijuana use.

Use of marijuana appeared to be more common among younger Baby Boomers, with adults aged 50 to 59 preferring that drug while adults 65 and older were more likely to abuse prescription drugs. In contrast with the overall 4.7 percent drug use statistic, a full 8.5 percent of men between the ages of 50 and 54 reported using marijuana in the past year. This suggests that many now-seniors who came of age during the drug culture of the '60s and '70s simply never stopped using drugs as they got older.

"It could be an adult who used to smoke a joint every night before bed and now they take a sleeping pill," said Gary Kennedy, director of Geriatric Psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center.

Kennedy noted that while not included in the federal study, alcohol is "still the king of abused substances."

Sources for this story include: www.nydailynews.com; www.cbsnews.com.

Wave of sickness and disease now striking Baby Boomers

(NaturalNews) Research is now showing that today's "baby boomers", the generation currently eclipsing age 60, is the first generation to be less healthy than the generation before them. Those in this age group are more susceptible to debilitating diseases than in years past, stemming primarily from poor diet and lack of proper exercise.

Professor Teresa Seeman, a researcher from the University of California, examined those today in their 60s, 70s, and 80s and compared her findings to people from the same age groups examined ten years ago. She came to the startling conclusion that about one in five people in their 60s today requires assistance in accomplishing daily activities. This number is 50 percent higher than it was a decade ago.

A common theme that emerged from the research is that technological advancements have played a significant role in creating poor health. As Americans have generally been weaned off of physical labor and instead placed in front of computer screens throughout the years, the level of physical activity among the population has dropped significantly.

The lack of effective exercise was emphasized by a 50 percent increase over the last ten years in people in their 60s having trouble performing simple activities such as walking a quarter-mile or climbing a small set of stairs. There was also a 40 percent increase in study subjects having trouble bending their knees to crouch, kneel, or get up from a chair.

Significant societal and technological advancements that were of great benefit to the Baby Boomers when they were younger is proving to be their downfall in their current stage of life. Those in this age group are fatter and weaker than previous generations were at the same age, and they are more susceptible to chronic ailments that severely curtail their quality of life.

Experts recommend the obvious, mainly an improved diet and increased physical activity. They also warn the current younger generations to become disciplined in living a healthy lifestyle now in order to help offset the things that are currently plaguing their parents and grandparents.

Dr. Ian Campbell, general practitioner and medical director of the charity Weight Concern, expressed concern over the growing reliance on pharmaceutical drugs rather than on lifestyle changes as the appropriate remedy for the problem. He recommends a more preventive approach in dealing with illness.

Perhaps the conditions of economic turmoil in America will drive the younger generations back to the fields where physical labor and nutritious bounty are sure to help undo some of the damage that's been done by a convenient, technology-driven lifestyle.

Sources for this story include

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...