Baby boomers hitting bottle and bong at alarming levels

Baby boomers lead surge in drinking, alcoholism, new study shows. Photo / 123rf

It's no longer young people who are the worry after health experts revealed baby boomers are abusing drugs and alcohol at alarming rates.

Our parents and grandparents generations are hitting the bottle harder than their children with binge drinking in the UK and Australia declining in all age-groups except those over 40.

The problem has led researchers from the South London Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and an Adelaide university to call for a global approach in reducing binge drinking among the older generations.

"Alcohol misuse in the older population may increase further as baby boomers get older because of their more liberal views towards, and higher use of, alcohol," the researchers wrote in the British Medical Journal.

"In Australia, the largest percentage increase in drug misuse between 2013 and 2016 was among people aged 60 and over, with this age group mainly misusing prescription drugs," they said.

The research also shows cannabis use is startlingly high among older people.

According to lead author Ann Roche the overwhelming majority of cannabis users in the over 50 age category started using drugs as a teenager and continued the habit through into their older years.

It is estimated the number of people over 450 receiving drug and alcohol treatment is expected to treble in the United States and double in Europe in the next three years.