OLDER WOMEN'S SUBSTANCE ABUSE WIDESPREAD

WASHINGTON -- Millions of older American women are addicted to alcohol or
legal drugs, but the problem is being swept under the rug, researchers said
recently.

They said 1.8 million women over the age of 59 -- or seven percent of all
such women -- are addicted to alcohol and 2.8 million are addicted to
prescription drugs.

More than 4 million, or 17 percent of the 25 million women over the age of
59, are addicted to nicotine.

The study, by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at New
York's Columbia University, found that less than 1 percent of these women
were getting the treatment they need.

"Substance abuse and addiction in mature women triggers at least $21.3
billion in Medicare, Medicaid and private inpatient and nursing home charges
a year," the researchers, headed by former Health, Education and Welfare
Secretary Joseph Califano, said in a statement.

Checked-by: Rolf Ernst