We’ve focused recently on the increasing use of illicit drugs by baby boomers (shocked, we know). It goes with the stereotype; psychedelics and lots and lots of high-quality marijuana. But another disturbing trend is killing the high; binge drinking by boomers is on the rise.
We might quibble with their definition of “binge drinking.” Nonetheless, it’s worth noting. From the Los Angeles Times:
“A recent study finds that among men and women 50 to 64 years old, almost 1 in 4 men and 1 in 10 women is a ‘binge’ drinker – meaning at some point in the last 30 days, he or she has downed four (for women) or five (for men) servings of alcohol in a single, two-hour sitting. Such alcohol abuse – roughly defined as the amount needed to attain a blood-alcohol level of .08 (the level at which most states consider a driver intoxicated) – frequently escapes the notice of physicians, even though it presents an escalating health risk as the drinker ages.”