Over50s alcohol wakeup call

WELLINGTON: Up to 40% of older New Zealanders are engaging in hazardous drinking, a study has found.

Researchers from Massey University and the University of Auckland explored the prevalence of hazardous drinking in 4000 people aged 50 and over.

Hazardous drinking was defined as alcohol consumption that puts the person at risk of immediate or longterm harm.

About half of older males and a quarter of older females were hazardous drinkers.

Research coleader Dr Andy Towers said he was not surprised by the results.

‘‘What we know from around the world is that we have a cohort of baby boomers that are drinking much, much more than any previous generation of retirees before.

‘‘Drink is the drug of choice for baby boomers.’’

While awareness campaigns mainly focused on binge drinking in young people, little was known about harmful alcohol consumption in older adults.

‘‘Our discussions about alcohol use shouldn’t just be about binge drinking or whether someone has a problem . . . hazardous drinking is about how much you’re drink ing and whether . . . it’s appropriate if you have medication use and [if] you have certain health conditions.’’

There were greater risks for older drinkers as their bodies became more sensitive to alcohol, Dr Towers said.

The research team is now working with the Health Promotion Agency with the intention of developing a GP alcohol screening tool.

‘‘One of the big problems we have is that a lot of GPs, a lot of practice nurses, feel uncomfortable talking to older adults about alcohol,’’ Dr Towers said. — RNZ