Older Adults and Substance Abuse

Term Paper # 109555

Aging
Medical and Health > Drugs
Psychology > Alcohol and Drugs

This paper explores drug and alcohol abuse among the older American population.

1,043 words () | 3 sources | MLA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper asserts that our national fervor to stamp out the use of illegal drugs has in some ways overshadowed the serious harm legal drugs do to society. The paper focuses on older adults and explains that many older people suffer from feelings of depression and loneliness which may serve as a catalyst for legal drug misuse or abuse. The paper then deals with the health concerns and injury risks for older drug and/or alcohol abusers.

From the Paper:

"Substance abuse among the American population is in epidemic proportions compared to other times within our history. It is estimated that over 20,000 deaths each year in this country are from drug-induced causes. Drug -induced causes include not only deaths from dependent and non-dependent use of drugs, but also poisoning from medically prescribed drugs and other drugs (Hazelden, Substance Abuse in the Elderly: A Growing Problem, 2006). In recent years, with new medical developments and healthcare accessibility, prescription drugs are being abused at record numbers and more often than not, these "safe" drugs can be just as deadly and addictive as illicit drugs or alcohol."

Sample of Sources Used:

Hazelden Organization. Substance Abuse in the Elderly: A Growing Problem. Alive and Free Online Publications. Center City, MN. February 20th 2006. http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/ade60220.page
Rigler, Sally K. MD. Alcoholism in the Elderly. American Family Physician. The Academy of American Family Physicians, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KN, March 15th 2000. http://www.aafp.org/afp/AFPprinter/20000315/1710.html
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies. Substance Use by Older Adults: Estimates of Future Impact on the Treatment System. Department of Health and Human Services Publication No. 03-3763, Rockville, MD, 2002. http://oas.samhsa.gov/aging/toc.htm

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APA Citation:

Older Adults and Substance Abuse (2012, January 15). Retrieved February 13, 2012, from http://www.academon.com/Term-Paper-Older-Adults-and-Substance-Abuse/109555