GPs ‘should question hedonistic over-50s on drug and drink use’

PATIENTS over 50 should be routinely quizzed by GPs about their drinking and drug-taking habits, according to medical experts.

They have warned of a rise of substance misuse among the babyboomer generation, which is undetected and happening behind closed doors.

Many already have very liberal attitudes towards drink and alcohol which they picked up during their ‘hedonistic’ youth of the 1960s and 1970s.

Others are turning to alcohol or prescription drugs in their retirement to ‘self-medicate’ for loneliness, insomnia or chronic pain.

Doctors are also being urged to tell older patients across the UK that even if they drink within the Government’s alcohol limits of 14 units a week they may still need to cut back.

The recommendations have been drawn up by the Royal College of Psychiatrists which warned that substance misuse was no longer a problem which only affected the young.

Figures published in a report by the Office for National Statistics last November revealed that, in Scotland, 55 women aged 60-64 died of alcohol-related harm in 2016, compared to 42 in 2015.

Scotland also continues to have the worst drink problem in the whole of the UK, recording more than double the 14 deaths per 100,000 people in England.

A report by the college today warns that many older patients are becoming addicted to prescription drugs including painkillers, antidepressants and sleeping pills.

Some continue to be given repeat prescriptions by their family doctor even though they are only meant to be taken for a few months.

Others are obtaining them illegally online or through friends.

Dr Tony Rao, a consultant psychiatrist who co-wrote the report, said: ‘It’s no longer a younger persons’ problem.

‘We now have a population of babyboomers who have the fastest rise of recent and lifetime substance misuse.

‘It’s the people brought up in the 60s and 70s where there was a very liberal and lax attitude to drinking and drug taking.’

The babyboomer generation refers to those who were born after the Second World War and who were teenagers or in their early 20s during the 1960s and 1970s.

The report urges GPs to ‘screen’ this cohort of patients during routine appointments and ask how much they drink, or take illegal or prescription drugs.

Doctors are also advised to be alert to the tell-tale signs of addiction in their patients including slurred speech, abnormal liver tests and sudden mood changes.

The report calls for minimum unit pricing – set to be implemented in Scotland this year – to be adopted south of the Border to help curb drinking among older people. It states: ‘It may be that the Westminster Government will now consider following the same implementation of minimum unit pricing, given that this has remained under consideration since 2012.’

Older adults are likely to be more prone to the harms of alcohol, particularly if they have long-term health problems or take several medications.

The report warns alcohol and drug misuse can lead to premature death or long-term illnesses including liver disease, strokes, cancer and dementia. It adds that over50s are experiencing alcoholrelated disorders such as Korsakoff’s Syndrome, which affects memory.

The report added: ‘Western Scotland has the highest prevalence of Korsakoff’s Syndrome in Western Europe. Alcohol-related brain damage discharges have been increasing in Lanarkshire at a significant rate [more than three times the Scottish average], with increases among males 40-60 years of age and among individuals from more affluent areas.’

The report highlights how ‘life events’ including retirement or a bereavement can lead to alcohol dependence. Some patients start drinking heavily to ease joint pain, loneliness or insomnia.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘While progress has been made in tackling problem alcohol and drug use, we’re determined to go further. By implementing minimum unit pricing on May 1 we can start to tackle the cheap, high-strength alcohol that causes so much damage to families and communities across the country.

‘This is supported by a wide range of measures to help everyone – regardless of their age – cut down on their drinking and address their drug use.’

‘Very liberal and lax attitude’