DRUGS AND OLDER DEMOGRAPHICS
Opioid Addiction on the Rise Among Older Americans
The opioid addiction epidemic is a nationwide public health crisis that’s claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans since the turn of the century. The epidemic has become so widespread that it’s affected every demographic of the American population, including the elderly. Given the unique risk factors that older populations who misuse opioids face, public health efforts and policy should be directed at helping the elderly seek treatment.
No Demographic Is Safe from the Opioid Crisis
Our great nation is struggling with a highly lethal drug epidemic, one which causes problems and crippling issues of the very worst kind. For years we have felt the tight grip of the addiction crisis. With 24 million-plus people in the U.S. struggling with substance abuse, it’s likely that most of us have been affected by this problem in some way or another.
