Drug use has nearly doubled among older adults, according to an annual survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. These are baby boomers who will be flooding nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the no-so-distant future.
The rate of current illicit drug use increased from 2.7% in 2002 to 4.4% in 2005 among adults aged 50 to 59.
Yet illicit drug use has declined overall, the report said. Among all age groups queried, those who said they had used illegal drugs in the past month dropped from 11.6% in 2002 to 9.9% in 2005.
