Binge drinking is most common among younger adults aged 18–34 years, but more than half of the total binge drinks are consumed by those aged 35 and older. Binge drinking is twice as common among men than among women. Four in five total binge drinks are consumed by men.

Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant and toxin, affecting the body in much the same way as opiates, barbiturates, and tranquilizers. It is the most widely used and abused mind-altering drug in the world today. Alcohol affects your brain.

Which of the following best explains why drug abusers so often relapse? They lack a supportive environment.

What is the trend of substance use disorders among individuals after age 65? There is a decline of individuals with substance use disorders.

rely on family members for remedies to treat their mental health issues. What is one reason that the needs of elderly people are becoming more visible among clinicians? Technological advancements in brain imaging have helped clinicians provide more accurate diagnoses among the elderly population.

Overall, alcohol was the most frequently reported primary substance of abuse for persons aged 50 or older. Opiates were the second most commonly reported primary substance of abuse, reported most frequently by individuals aged 50 to 59.

Drug addiction, also called substance use disorder, is a disease that affects a person’s brain and behavior and leads to an inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug or medication. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs.

Older adults may be more likely to experience mood disorders, lung and heart problems, or memory issues. Drugs can worsen these conditions, exacerbating the negative health consequences of substance use.

The co-occurrence of depression and AUD can greatly complicate the diagnosis and treatment of both. For example, older adults may be more likely to disclose depressive symptoms and present to primary care settings rather than mental health or substance abuse treatment settings.

Older adults are at high risk for medication misuse due to conditions like pain, sleep disorders/insomnia, and anxiety that commonly occur in this population.

Older people tend to take more drugs than younger people because they are more likely to have more than one chronic medical disorder, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or arthritis. Most drugs used by older people for chronic disorders are taken for years.

Drug or alcohol abuse among the elderly is particularly dangerous because senior citizens are more susceptible to the deteriorating effects of these substances. Individuals over 65 have a decreased ability to metabolize drugs or alcohol along with an increased brain sensitivity to them.

In univariate analyses, there was no association between anxiety and age, or depression and age. In multivariable analyses, older age (p=0.05) was associated with decreased anxiety, as well as lack of social support (p<0.01) and increased number of comorbidities (p<0.01).

Note, as of August 18, 2014, Tramadol is a Schedule IV controlled substance and must be reported to MAPS and included in reported annual inventory.

In 2013, an estimated 24.6 million Americans aged 12 or older— 9.4 percent of the population—had used an illicit drug in the past month. This number is up from 8.3 percent in 2002. The increase mostly reflects a recent rise in use of marijuana, the most commonly used illicit drug.

Intravenous (IV) drug use in which the drug is injected directly into a vein and enters the bloodstream to reach the brain. This is the quickest way of achieving a psycho-active drug effect.

Current research on drug delivery systems can be described in four broad categories: routes of delivery, delivery vehicles, cargo, and targeting strategies. Medications can be taken in a variety of ways—by swallowing, by inhalation, by absorption through the skin, or by intravenous injection.

• Oral route. Many drugs can be administered orally as liquids, capsules, tablets, or chewable tablets.
• Injection routes. Administration by injection (parenteral administration) includes the following routes:
• Sublingual and buccal routes.
• Rectal route.
• Vaginal route.
• Ocular route.
• Otic route.
• Nasal route.

• Oral administration. This is the most frequently used route of drug administration and is the most convenient and economic.
• Sublingual.
• Rectal administration.
• Topical administration.
• Parenteral administration.
• Intravenous injection.

Oral route Many drugs can be administered orally as liquids, capsules, tablets, or chewable tablets. Because the oral route is the most convenient and usually the safest and least expensive, it is the one most often used.

Needle insertion angles for 4 types of parenteral administration of medication: intramuscular, subcutaneous, intravenous, and intradermal injection.

The 6 routes of medication administration.

DREs classify drugs in one of seven categories: central nervous system (CNS) depressants, CNS stimulants, hallucinogens, dissociative anesthetics, narcotic analgesics, inhalants, and cannabis.

inhalation

One of the recommendations to reduce medication errors and harm is to use the “five rights”: the right patient, the right drug, the right dose, the right route, and the right time.

WHAT ARE THE THREE CHECKS? Checking the: – Name of the person; – Strength and dosage; and – Frequency against the: Medical order; • MAR; AND • Medication container.

To ensure safe medication preparation and administration, nurses are trained to practice the “7 rights” of medication administration: right patient, right drug, right dose, right time, right route, right reason and right documentation [12, 13].

Communicate with your patient before and after administration. Provide information to patient about the medication before administering it. Answer questions regarding usage, dose, and special considerations. Give the patient an opportunity to ask questions.