Older drinkers - when Irish eyes are seeing double

It is expected that there will be a rise in the number of older people over the course of the C21st and each successive group of older people is more likely to engage in hazardous, harmful and frequent heavy drinking. A survey of 60 older people in Southwark compared Irish pensioners with English ones as people of Irish origin drink most heavily of all the minority ethnic groups. Both groups of pensioners had reduced their drinking since their younger days but the Irish ones drank more overall, were more likely to drink at least once a week, had a higher mean alcohol intake, were more likely to binge drink and to drink above sensible limits. They were also more likely to have a family history of mental-health problems.

Rao, R., Wolff, K. and Marshall, E.J. - Alchohol use and misuse in older people: a local prevalence study comparing English and Irish inner-city residents living in the UK Journal of Substance Use February 2008, 13(1), 17-26