Reports from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that rise in drug alcohol deaths misuse and alcohol abuse are increasing among older adults in the United States. The rates of deaths from drug overdoses among seniors have more than tripled in the past two decades, according to one report published by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. The report reveals that more than 5,000 adults aged 65 and older died of a drug overdose in 2020, with death rates rising from 2.4 to 8.8 deaths per 100,000 people among adults 65 and older between 2000 and 2020.

Rise in Drug, alcohol death rates in older adults

Alcohol-induced deaths among adults 65 and older have also been rising since 2011, with a more than 18% increase from 2019 to 2020, according to another report from the National Center for Health Statistics. In 2020, more than 11,000 older adults died of alcohol-induced causes. Although alcohol-induced death rates among adults 65 and older make up less than 1% of total deaths, the rates increased from 17 to 20.1 deaths per 100,000 people between 2019 and 2020.

The reports did not analyze what factors could be driving these increases, but Ellen Kramarow, a health statistician at the National Center for Health Statistics, suggested that the forces affecting younger people could also be affecting older people. Excessive drinking can have more severe consequences for the body in older age than for younger adults, leading to a higher risk of death.

The report on drug overdose deaths found that death rates in 2020 involving opioids were highest when they specifically involved synthetic opioids other than methadone, such as tramadol or fentanyl. From 2019 to 2020, death rates from these synthetic opioids increased 53% among older adults, rising from 1.9 to 2.9 deaths per 100,000 people. The data also showed some racial differences, with non-Hispanic Black men aged 65 and older having higher drug overdose death rates than White and Hispanic men.

The report on alcohol-induced deaths found that men had higher rates of alcohol-induced deaths. Between 2019 and 2020, the rate increased from 36.5 to 43.4 per 100,000 among men aged 65 to 74 and from 19.8 to 21.5 per 100,000 among men 75 and older. For women, alcohol-induced death rates increased from 10.2 to 12.9 for those ages 65 to 74 and from 4.4 to 5.3 for those 75 and older. The data also showed some racial differences, with alcohol-induced death rates in adults 65 and older being highest for American Indian or Alaska Native adults.

Alarming Rise in Drug Alcohol Deaths

Peter Hendricks, a professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health Department of Health Behavior, explained that excessive alcohol consumption could be deadly for older adults. As people age, their bodies metabolize drugs differently, making them more susceptible to the risks of drinking. Even moderate alcohol consumption could result in significant intoxication or inebriation and could lead to a lethal fall at home.

Alcohol and Drug Abuse at 65+ Age Group

The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics released a separate report that found death rates from unintentional falls have also increased between 2000 and 2020 among adults 65 and older. Experts are concerned about the seasonal trends in drug- and alcohol-related deaths and injuries, with a potential increase expected around the winter holidays.

Lori Ann Post, a professor of geriatric and emergency medicine at Feinberg School of Medicine, stated that older adults are at higher risk of drug interactions. Lower ability to metabolize drugs, and higher rates of social isolation and depression, which can lead to self-sedation. Post emphasized the need to eliminate the stigma surrounding substance abuse in older adults so that they can receive appropriate treatment.

Post suggested that primary care physicians, surgeons, emergency medicine doctors, and gerontologists should screen all older adults for substance misuse and refer them to substance treatment and mental health treatment as needed. However, she noted that there are few substance abuse treatment programs tailored to the needs of older adults.

The findings of the reports are concerning, particularly because of the potential undercounting of drug- and alcohol-related deaths among older adults due to autopsies and toxicology reports being less likely to be conducted. Therefore, it is essential to raise awareness of the issue and provide the necessary support and treatment to help prevent drug and alcohol abuse among older adults.

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Sources: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse