Substance abuse increasing among seniors.

Senior drug addicts increasing
Fri Jan 21, 6:18 AM ET

By Charisse Jones, USA TODAY

Evelyn Barnette first got high when she was 19, and for nearly 40 years hid her marijuana and cocaine use behind a mask of respectability. She began using crack three years ago, and that nearly devoured her soul. Thoughts of suicide finally compelled her to seek help.

So, she sits with others in their 50s and 60s, a circle of peers, speaking of addiction and healing.

"I realized I wanted help," says Barnette, 56, a resident at Odyssey House, an alcohol and drug treatment center in New York City. "But I was older and I felt embarrassed to go into a program with young kids. ... I was desperate to get into this program."

It is a largely unforeseen consequence of the aging of America. As the elderly population continues to grow and baby boomers move into their senior years,the number of older adults who abuse drugs - from pain pills to marijuana and cocaine - is increasing. And the nation should prepare to meet the special needs of older addicts, says Ron Hunsicker of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers.
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