Aug 19, 2009 8:27 pm US/Eastern
Study: Baby Boomers' Drug Use Skyrockets
Rate Of Popping Pills, Doing Coke, Smoking Pot, Etc., Nearly Doubles From 7 Years Ago; Only Age Group To Go Up
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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A recent survey found that the percentage of Baby Boomers still using illegal drugs has nearly doubled since 2002.
AP
They were the first generation to openly experiment with drug use, and according to a new study, quite a few still do. In fact, more baby boomers say they smoke pot, snort cocaine, and pop pills than seven years ago.
The Woodstock generation is still getting high, even as they get older.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the percentage of Americans age 50 to 59 who report using illegal drugs nearly doubled between 2002 and 2007, from 5.1 percent to 9.4 percent.
Addiction psychiatrist Samuel Glazer says the actual percentage is much higher, reports CBS station WCBS-TV in New York City.
"Any individual who is addicted is either under a great deal of denial, so they may not even know they have a substance abuse problem, or may even forget they use substances, as well as the amount of shame that many, many addicts feel," Dr. Glazer said. "And so they wouldn't report their drug use. So I would say this is probably just the tip of the iceberg."
Glazer says drug use among the middle aged cuts across every strata of society.
"These baby boomers who were adolescents or late adolescents when they started using drugs are now professionals, doctors, lawyers, money managers who today still have substance abuse issues," Dr. Glazer said.
Law enforcement sources say middle-aged recreational drug use is not a priority with them, because it doesn't typically happen out on the street. It's more of a hidden crime.
On the street Wednesday, the report didn't surprise many.
"Nothing surprises me nowadays," said Al Larido of Manhattan, who added he doesn't have any friends who still partake, "None that I can name."
"I wouldn't know from personal experience, but if you're talking about people who experimented when they were younger and then returned to it, maybe that does make sense," tourist Mariam Shenkar added.
The report says with every other age group, drug use has stayed the same or decreased.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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