Baby Boomers
Baby Boomers and Drug Abuse, Hear From the Experts
Historically, substance abuse is primarily concentrated among teens as well as young adults. However, the major concern lies on older adults. As the baby boomers ages, the older adult's population increases contributing in the large proportions of marijuana users and other prohibited drugs.
It is a fact that baby boomer followers have greater population compared to other followers. So it is expected that percentage of people using illicit drugs would also increase in just a few decades. Joseph Gfroerer uses the recent data of the surveys conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in presenting current prevalence and patterns and latest trends in using illicit drugs.
The 4.4 % of the baby boomers population ages 50-59 years old admitted that they used prohibited drugs as been reported by the United States Government. The age group's percentage increased as supported by the nationwide surveys on Health and Drug Use. However, the use of illicit drugs among teenagers decreased to 9.9 % from 11.6% in 2005.
The director's assistant of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, David Murray said that contrasting phenomenon like this rarely occurs. The survey that was conducted involved interviews of approximately 67,500 people. It provides snapshots that are very importantly associated on how Americans smoke, drink, and use drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana.
The use of drugs stayed relatively unchanged for Americans ages 12 year old and above in 2005. There were about 19.7 million Americans who use illicit drugs which increase its percentage to 8.1% from a 7.9%. The increase was not solely contributed by boomers, but also those people ages 18 to 25 years old ranking the highest percentage in terms of using illicit drugs ranging to 20.1% from a 19.4%.
Federal officials posted their comments about these reports because they only emphasized the decrease of drug use among young teens without reporting the increase in among the 18-25 age groups.
Eric B. Broderick, an Assistant General Surgeon even asked if fundamental shifts like this really occur among youngsters in America. The 18-25 age brackets also called by Murray as gauntlets where everybody runs. In addition, the use of drugs among youths in the US reaches its peak during the late 70s bringing the baggage with them as they age 50-60 years old.
The percentage of baby boomers that uses illicit drugs increased since 2002 and reveals that Marijuana was their choice. The report was true revealing 14.6 million Marijuana users, 6.4 million people uses prescription drugs such as sedatives or tranquilizers and pain relievers, and 2.4 million people using cocaine. The 60% of these users exposed that they obtain the drugs from a friend or relative for free. An average of 4.3% users bought drugs from strangers or drug dealers.
The Bureau of Census said that there are 78.2 million boomers born between 1946 and 1964. As been studied, abuse of substances like drugs became a part of their lives as they get older. The National Drug Control Policy director John Walters even said that some baby boomers carried this habit throughout their lives.
However, the editor of High Times (advocacy magazine on marijuana), Steve Hager said that ailing people ages 55 years old chooses marijuana over anti-depressants and sleeping pills while 60 year old and above uses it as pain relievers for glaucoma and related maladies.
However, the United States government never recognizes the medical benefits of marijuana although eleven states permit using it for medical reasons. Marijuana is considered the most well-known illicit drug used by about 6% users. Prescription drugs and stimulants is the second with a 2.6% user.
Other evidences of using drugs among baby boomers were revealed when a large number of them showed up for treatments. Moreover, overdose deaths are another reason. Those baby boomers that were caught smoking weed at Woodstock continue on with their habits until now.
Mr. Murray's good news was that young people in today's generation have learned the mistakes done by their parents. More teenagers are staying away from using illicit drugs and other harmful substances like tobacco and alcohol. The self-destruction pattern created by baby boomers is prevented in the coming generations thus this activity is well sustained. This promises a good future on the health of Americans.
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Baby Boomers and Breaking Age Related Norms
In the past, after World War II, a new kind of generation was born in the United States. Because of the after effects of the World War II, the United States experienced an economical boom, which resulted in high income jobs, and unemployment rates were non-existent.
Education was also enhanced by the government and universities and colleges were prompting people to get a college degree. Education was cheap, and was readily available. In fact, many took college courses to open up higher paying job opportunities
Because of this lifestyle, many people became financially secure and prompted them to produce more children. After the World War II and before the start of the Vietnam War, there was a significant increase in birth rates. This generation was called the baby boomers era. People who were born within this period are called baby boomers.
First of all, the baby boomers grew up in a world where unemployment was virtually non-existent and their parents had high income jobs. Provided if you were Caucasian, everyone had a job.
Baby boomers also came of age during the time of civil rights protests were on the streets. In fact, most people who protested for civil rights and equality were baby boomers. They fought against race, creed, gender, and age discrimination. Because of the world they grew up in, baby boomers are considered to be politically active and are watching every move that the government makes.
Another reason why baby boomers are so politically active is that they also grew up during the Cold War where the socialists and communist governments were the enemy. The American military is also the most powerful armed forces in the world during those times. They experienced the arms race against communist Russia and have been brought up by their parents knowing that the United States is the most powerful nation in the world.
Culturally speaking, baby boomers also introduced a new kind of music called rock + roll. They introduced and accepted the different kinds of music that has been popping out during this era, including jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock + roll. In fact, most of the music you hear today is influenced by the music baby boomers introduced.
In every generation there is a distinct norm that you will see. In the baby boomers generation, you will see that they are not really retiring and are continuing to work. They are more focused on their careers and are very politically active. In fact, the United States government today is being run by a baby boomer. Ex-president Bill Clinton and incumbent president George W. Bush are the first two baby boomers who held the highest office of the United States.
Baby boomers want to follow their passion, give something back to the society, and are always trying extra hard to achieve their maximum potential. You will also observe that baby boomers that are already in the retiring age are still continuing to work today. This is because they want to be active in activities that make them happy and retirement is not one of them.
Baby boomers are also more concerned about their health than their parents. Because of this, they constantly visit their doctors and know the value of their health. In fact, studies suggest that baby boomers will live longer than their predecessors.
There are the four things that you can expect from baby boomers once they reach the retirement age:
� Total retirement
� Entrepreneur
� Worker
� Volunteer
Most baby boomers prefer to have their own business. Or, if they are incapable of starting their own business, they often do volunteer work they are interested in. Sometimes, you will see some baby boomers traveling all over the world to help the less fortunate on charity events.
They also expect respect in the workplace but they seldom find it because of age discrimination. It is ironic that these people are being discriminated in the work place where they were one of the people who fought for equal employment and civil rights.
As you can see, past norms, where when people reach a certain age, they can now retire, are very different from the baby boomers era. They are freer and are taking advantage of that freedom to do whatever they want and they do this by contributing to society or do something that they truly enjoy. They are a generation who is in to their careers and a generation that expects to be respected.
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