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Smoking cannabis sends life cover up in smoke for over 50s
Many over 50s may not be as stressed over their retirement savings as most people think – mainly because they are high on drugs.
A new study has grassed up the over 50s for smoking more cannabis than was previously thought.
Scientists at King’s College , London, looked at drug use among the over 50s and concluded many might suffer from medical conditions and mental disorders as a result of taking drugs that would preclude them from life insurance cover.
In all, just over 1 in 10 over 50s have smoked cannabis at some time, compared with just 1.7% of their parent’s generation.
The research also found that use of cannabis, amphetamines, cocaine and LSD by 50–64 year olds had increased approximately tenfold in England since 1993.
Cannabis is the over 50s drug of choice – with just under 2% of the age group confessing regular use.
While the use of illegal drugs has soared, abuse of prescription drugs has stood still, says the report.
“Our data suggest at the very least that large numbers of people are entering older age groups with lifestyles about which we know little, in terms of their effects on health,” says Robert Stewart, who led the research.
“The results should allow medical and social services to plan how they will care for elderly people who may take illicit drugs. In younger users, cannabis has been linked to psychotic illness and other health problems.”
The research also predicts illegal drug abuse will become more prevalent in later generations.
“I don’t believe any generation has been found to use drugs less frequently than the previous generation, so the increase in use and exposure is likely to continue,” said Stewart.
The research returned similar results as a recent study in the US which also looked at illicit drug use among the over 50s.