(NaturalNews) The baby boomer generation is literally drinking itself to death at a time when medical marijuana should be – and could be – saving their lives.
As reported by the UK’s Daily Mail, boomers born in the post-World War II period between 1946 and 1964 are distinct from previous generations because of their far great indulgence in hedonistic, aesthetic lifestyles, and this is particularly evident in their drinking habits.
Some believe that boomers drink at greater volumes than previous generations because during their formative years advertising for alcohol and tobacco was much more widespread. It could also be due to the fact that boomers have it much better than their parents, for the most part.
Now aged between 51 and 70, boomers’ drinking habits are leading many to a premature grave. Between 1992 and 2006, average weekly alcohol consumption for boomers aged 45–64 increased by a staggering 85 percent. That compares with a 50 percent increase in drinking for those aged 65 and older, and a 45 percent increase in the 16–24 age group.
Follow-up studies have revealed similar findings, the Daily Mail reported. Between 2005 and 2013, for instance, the percentage of males consuming eight or more alcohol units – which is equal to four pints of normal strength beer – on any given day over the previous week changed by just 5 percent, and that was in the over-65 age group.
Loneliness and alcohol kill
By comparison, the drinking rate fell by 30 percent among 16–24 year-olds, 19 percent in the 22–44 year-old age group, and 12 percent for those between 45 and 64 years of age.
Additional data contains identical drinking patterns among baby boomers, the paper said. Between 2001 and 2014, alcohol-related deaths in England skyrocketed by more than 150 percent, while alcohol-related admissions to the hospital rose faster among the boomer generation than any other.
Admissions for behavioral and mental disorders attributed to alcohol abuse are now higher than those for alcoholic liver disease in those over the age of 60.
“This is not down to demographics: this increase in alcohol-related admissions and deaths far outstrips the actual rise in numbers of older people over the same time frames,” the paper reported.
In addition to alcohol abuse, boomers also abuse drugs at higher rates. There is increasing evidence that also extends to prescription medications like painkillers and sleeping pills, as well as illegal narcotics.
Some possible explanations for the increased abuse include the fact that alcohol is much cheaper than it used to be, generally speaking boomers have more disposable income, and prescription drugs and painkillers are much easier to get and more prolific than ever.
Also, it is believed that boomers tend to drink more because many of them are lonely.
Cannabis to the rescue
At the same time that alcohol is killing many baby boomers, however, cannabis is saving others’ lives. The increased acceptance and use of marijuana for medical purposes is saving lives and alleviating pain and suffering.
As reported by Medical Marijuana Update, there are a number of amazing health benefits associated with cannabis:
— It can stop cancer from spreading by turning off a gene known as Id-1, lending to anecdotal evidence that people who ingest cannabis oil can cure themselves of certain cancers.
— Cannabis is good for weight loss, despite what you hear about people getting the “munchies.” Fact is, cannabis users are slimmer on average than non-users, because it helps the body better regulate the production of insulin, while helping the body burn calories more efficiently.
— Boomers tend to feel lonelier and depressed, which is one reason they turn to alcohol. But marijuana can actually ease depression, say researchers who have been analyzing chronic stress and depression at Buffalo University. So far, their findings show that elements of marijuana can be helpful in reducing the effects of depression that can stem from chronic stress.
Sources:
DailyMail.co.uk
MedicalMarijuanaUpdate.com
Buffalo.edu
