Many seniors are drug dependent

German main point for addiction questions: Many older people are dependent on medicines.

The German Center for Addiction Issues (DHS) draws attention to a dangerous development. More and more seniors operate a drug abuse and often get into a veritable drug dependence. The DHS draws attention to this growing problem in the new yearbook "Addiction 2010". According to DHS, around 1.7 to 2.8 million people aged 60 or over (8.0 -13.0 percent) have problematic use of "psychoactive" medicines and analgesics. Many older people are already drug dependent, often unconscious.

The DHS shows that the transition to dependence on drugs is often fluid. First, the intake is made for medical-health reasons, later it comes then to permanent and abusive use of the drugs. The German main office for addiction question assumes that approximately 1.2 million humans are dependent on Benzodiazepinderivaten, further 400,000 humans are dependent on other medicines. Benzodiazepine derivatives are i.a. so-called tranquilizers and sleep aids. The exact data would be too inaccurate. Therefore, the DHS calls on the federal government to commission a study on drug use and dependencies as well as on the consequences of drug misuse.

Another factor is the huge increase in healthcare costs. For example, a drug dependency in senior citizens leads to falls, which often lead to long-term care. For this reason, too, a comprehensive explanation is sorely needed. (sb, 09.04.2010)