Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Baby Boomers Still Mad for the Reefer, Man

By the Associated Press

Posted Aug 19, 2009 1:08 PM CDT
Email

(AP) – Some Americans haven't let go of one part of the 1960s: getting high on illicit drugs. The percentage of Americans age 50-59 who reported use of illicit drugs within a year nearly doubled from 2002-2007, from 5.1% to 9.4%, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported today.

The agency said that percentage rose because baby boomers—born between 1946 and 1964—continued to use drugs as they got older. A SAMHSA official said the continued use "is likely to put further strains on the nation's health care system." The rates of illicit drug use among all other age groups stayed the same or decreased over the 5-year period, the agency said.

Another psychedelic delight of an era gone by: magic mushrooms.
Another psychedelic delight of an era gone by: magic mushrooms.   (AP Photo)
A medical marijuana patient smokes outside the Los Angeles City Hall.
A medical marijuana patient smokes outside the Los Angeles City Hall.   (AP Photo)
An unidentified man smoking marijuana.
An unidentified man smoking marijuana.   (AP Photo)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 19 comments
jagerhans
Aug 23, 2009 2:46 AM CDT
people... once a discal hernia bent me like a sickle. i mean, a badly twisted sickle. i could not stand or walk, just jumping around dragging one leg , nor i could lie in bed and sleep . i got free european 'socialist' surgery and my vertebral column returned to working conditions, now i am just fine. but before surgery i had to wait for it some time and the doc prescribed me the pain killer tramadol which had, among his many weird adverse effects ... 'death'. on the other side, it did not work at all. he could kill me yet was powerless at killing my 24/7 round back and leg pain. i resorted to pot that effectively relieved the pain, helping me in sleeping at night too, all this without potentially fatal outcomes. so don't come and tell me that socialized healthcare and grass are my enemies. yours, maybe
jagerhans
Aug 23, 2009 2:38 AM CDT
or smoke them dry turds of course. that's how those evil grass fiends end up. look at bill clinton.
cognitivefilter
Aug 20, 2009 3:56 AM CDT
back at you: i'm on prozac and smoke weed every day. i'm doing fine. thanks for passing judgment on who "shouldn't" use MJ. mushrooms are out of your system in 8 hours, they pass through your digestive system like any other food but the process of digesting them causes a 'trip.' one moderate amount would not change one's personality. i do agree with you on "respecting the mental challenge," that was well put. so, i'll retract my comment. but i do still believe unequivocally that one trip would really turn people on their heads (in a good way), get a new perspective....

Copyright 2012 Newser, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. AP contributed to this report.

 
baby boomer • drug use • marijuana • 1960s • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration • middle age • illegal drugs

More Newser Stories

Middle-Aged Drug Users Have Sharper Minds

Legalizing Medical Marijuana Doesn't Up Kids' Pot Use

68K Pot Plants Found in California Mountains

‘California Grannies’ Busted for Growing Weed

Teens Picking Pot Over Cigarettes
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne