Growing Drug Addiction Rate among Elderly Population

According to a survey done by the U.S. government it was found that there is an increase in the drug addiction rate among the America's elderly population. It is said that adults aged 50 and above suffer from severe substance abuse problems. It is estimated that the number of people addicted to drug would double to 5 million by the end of 2020. Even the younger generation is addicted to drugs due to problems such as pain, insomnia, depression and anxiety.

Hence this would lead to the development of substance abuse later in the future. Hence the future is very bleak with an increase in the number of people affected with substance abuse. Frederic Blow, associate professor at the University of Michigan Medical School said that in case of elderly people the reasons could be medical woes and emotional problems associated with old age. According to the survey the most abused substance among the elderly is alcohol followed by painkillers and anti-anxiety pills.