STUDY SEES ADDICTION IN OLDER WOMEN

WASHINGTON (AP) -- An alarming number of women over age 59 are addicted to
psychoactive prescription drugs and alcohol, and only a few physicians are
catching the early signs of abuse, according to a new study by Columbia
University.

The 180-page report, being released Thursday by Columbia's National Center
on Addiction and Substance Abuse, said 11 percent of older women -- 2.8
million -- abuse or are addicted to psychoactive prescription drugs. About
1.8 million or 7 percent of older women abuse or are addicted to alcohol.

The two-year study also concluded that less than 1 percent of the women who
need treatment for alcohol abuse receive it.

``In good health, these women can work, be supportive parents and loving
grandparents and have two decades of independent living ahead of them,''
said Joseph A. Califano Jr., president of the Columbia substance abuse
center. ``Substance abuse and addiction steal millions of these years by
condemning thousands of these women to disability and premature death.''

As part of its study, the center reviewed prescriptions for psychoactive --
mood altering -- drugs given to 13,000 mature women over a six-month period.
The report concluded that half of the prescriptions for tranquilizers and
sleeping pills should not have been given or should have been given for
shorter periods of time. One in four women use at least one psychoactive
prescription drug, according to the study.

The report also pointed to doctors not recognizing symptoms of abuse among
their older female patients. Only one percent of primary care physicians
considered a substance abuse diagnosis when presented with common symptoms
of alcohol abuse. Instead, 80 percent diagnosed the symptoms as depression.

``What's inexcusable is that these tragedies are preventable,'' said Califano.

Former first lady Betty Ford joined Califano in calling the situation a
``hidden'' epidemic, with older women reluctant to come forward because of
society's stigmas, and family members denying the signs of abuse.

``It is swept under the rug of denial and desperation of families and
friends who can't accept the reality of a mother or aunt or sister who may
be abusing alcohol or addicted to it or who simply don't know what to do
about it,'' Mrs. Ford said.

The report suggested that physicians can spend as little as five minutes
counseling patients deemed at risk to help prevent the problem. It also
recommended increased training for physicians on how to recognize and
address substance abuse.

The study was based on an analysis of several national surveys, including
the Health and Retirement Study conducted by the Survey Research Center at
the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and the National Household Survey on
Drug Abuse sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration in the Health and Human Services Department.

The physician survey was conducted independently by Louis Harris &
Associates. The telephone survey of 400 physicians had a margin of error of
plus or minus 3 to 5 percentage points.

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett