A Recent Study Shows that Gen X and Older Millennials Are Engaging More in Risky Addictive Behaviors

According to a new study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, people between the ages of 35 to 50 are using marijuana, hallucinogens and binge drinking at record levels.

While substance use disorders (SUDs) have been on the rise in all age groups in recent years, medical professionals and addiction experts are concerned that this age group may be putting themselves at an increased risk of causing long-term damage to their physical and mental health.

Rank Brain Media-Adverse Side Effects of Hallucinogens Infographic

The Blurred Line Around Binge Drinking

Even before the pandemic, binge drinking was on the rise with one study citing that 33% of U.S. adults between the ages of 35 to 44 years old meet the criteria for an alcohol use disorder. The same study also found that 9% of adults aged 35-44 continued to drink even though it had already negatively affected their jobs, schooling, or relationships. Binge drinking is defined as 4 or more drinks in two hours for women and five or more for men. According to The Monitoring the Future Study, over 29% of adults aged 35-50 reported binge drinking in the past two weeks.

“We tend to believe a person is managing alcohol well if they’re not an alcoholic,” says Malissa Barbosa, DO, a board-certified family physician and fellowship-trained addiction medicine specialist based in Orlando, Florida. “But what many fail to recognize is the gradual impact the chemical has on the body, as well as the associated disease states.”

“But what many fail to recognize is the gradual impact the chemical has on the body, as well as the associated disease states.”

Even if someone isn’t a full-blown alcoholic, there is still an increased chance that they could experience alcohol-related damage to organs including their liver, heart, or brain. They are also at an increased risk of developing certain cancers such as mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, colon and breast. Certain behavioral health disorders like anxiety and depression are also associated with heavy drinking.

“Our culture celebrates excess,” says Dr. Barbosa. “It’s convinced many adults that alcohol is a necessary part of their lifestyle, and that several drinks a night is normal behavior. We worry about kids on campus who put themselves in danger, but it’s become pervasive among adults, too. It’s time for serious conversations about the impact of excessive drinking on all demographics in our society,”

“Our culture celebrates excess”

Dr. Barbosa, a Family Physician

Increased Availability

The Increased Availability of Marijana Is Leading to Cannabis Use Disorders

As more states make purchasing marijuana legal and the increased availability of products with CBD in them that claim to cure everything from anxiety to joint pain, it is no surprise that marijuana users increased from 17% in 2017 to 28% in 2023 among 35- to 50-year-olds. The perception that cannabis is safe to use with only 23% of people surveyed in a recent poll saying it’s “very harmful” than other drugs is misguided because people can still become addicted and have it negatively impact their lives. Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is a diagnosis given for mild to severe issues with marijuana use.

To be diagnosed with CUD people need to meet certain criteria but if someone is concerned that they or a loved one may be addicted to marijuana they should look out for the following signs:

Increasing the amount or length of time using marijuana.
Missing work or social activities
Continuing to use marijuana despite being put in dangerous situations
Ignoring any negative physical or behavioral health issues that are caused by using marijuana
Continued use despite ongoing issues with family or friends
Experiencing cravings or symptoms of withdrawal when not using marijuana

Nate Moellering, a community outreach coordinator at Allendale Treatment and Fort Wayne Recovery says that no matter what the substance is, if someone thinks they have or are developing an addiction, they should seek out treatment.

“If you think you have a problem with marijuana you probably do and the best way to prevent it from manifesting into a worsening issue or other addiction is to get help as soon as possible.”

Hallucinogens Are a Call Back to Gen X’s Youth

When Gen X thinks back to their teens and early 20s images of raves and dance clubs where they may have experimented with substances like ecstasy and LSD come to mind. This may explain why this age group has also experienced a recent increase in hallucinogen use from 2% in 2021 to 4% in 2022. Dr. Harris Stratyner, a licensed New York State psychologist and addiction specialist says he’s seen this uptick in patients looking for ways to get high first-hand. “I think a lot of it has to do with the relaxed laws about marijuana,” says Harris. “I also think that a lot of people are micro-dosing hallucinogens and that older people are doing it because it goes back to their generation when they were using things like Ecstasy, LSD and other hallucinogens.”

Data also shows that some of the other hallucinogens people between the ages of 35 to 50 are using at an increased rate include MDMA, peyote, psilocybin and ketamine. Dr. Joseph Palamar, an associate professor and substance use expert in the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone says that similar to marijuana the increase in usage can also be attributed to the potential health benefits that come from the recreational use of hallucinogens like ketamine.

“There has been widespread media coverage of its effects on treating depression,” says Palamar. “We recently found that through 2022, law enforcement seizures of ketamine skyrocketed, and use also increased among nightclub and dance festival attendees. We really need to keep our eye on both ketamine and psilocybin.”

Whether it’s the lingering impact of the pandemic or societal shifts, addiction experts urge Gen X and older millennials to seek treatment through a detox and/or rehab facility if they feel they’ve developed an addiction to any of these substances. “There are a lot of different treatment options out there and it’s important to find the one that’s going to work best for you,” says Moellering.

“There are a lot of different treatment options out there and it’s important to find the one that’s going to work best for you”

Dr. Joseph Palamar, Associate Professor