Alcohol abuse is a much bigger problem in older adults than many people realize. There are many reasons for this.

Older adults generally grew up in a time when drinking was much more acceptable. In reading books or watching movies from the 1920's to the 1960's, you can see that drinking alcohol was considered normal. Even drinking large amounts, getting drunk, or drinking every night was much more acceptable than it is now.

With advances in medicine, we know much more about the effects of alcohol on the body. But many older adults continue to drink heavily with the reasoning that they've always done it, and they are okay so far. Many older people have no idea that they may be destroying their health through alcohol.

How much is too much? In general, if you are over 65 and you are drinking more than two drinks in a day, it's too much. It doesn't matter whether it's mixed drinks, wine, or beer. If your health care provider has you on certain medications, it may be dangerous to drink at all. Talk with your provider at your next office visit. Even if you've always had three or four drinks a night and have never been affected, you need to cut down as you get older. There are several reasons. As you get older:

• you get drunk quicker and stay drunk longer,
• you are more likely to be on medications that don't mix with alcohol,
• your reaction time slows down, and alcohol slows it even more,
• you can get certain kinds of mental confusion from drinking too much, and
• you can ignore medical danger signs like pain if you're drinking too much.

If you or an older person you care about may have a drinking problem, act just as you would with someone of any age. Get support from family, healthcare providers, or call your local chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous or Rational Recovery in the white pages.

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