PEOPLE - Record numbers of pensioners taken to A&E after poisoning themselves with cocaine and cannabis

Record numbers of pensioners taken to A&E after poisoning themselves with cocaine and cannabis 

• - Almost 900 over 65s needed emergency treatment for illicit drug use
• - More than half of those admitted to A&E were aged 75 or over
• - Experts blame the increase on the 'free love' generation of baby boomers
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By STEVE NOLAN

PUBLISHED: 01:58 GMT, 8 December 2013 | UPDATED: 01:59 GMT, 8 December 2013

The number of pensioners being admitted to hospital after poisoning themselves with illicit drugs has soared

Almost 900 pensioners needed hospital treatment last year after poisoning themselves with illicit drugs such as cocaine and cannabis, according to new figures.

The number of those aged 65 or over who have been admitted to A&E because of drug use has tripled in the past ten years.

More than 50 per cent of those who were rushed to hospital were aged over 75.

According to the Sunday Times, experts are blaming the staggering increase on the 'free love' generation - many of those aged 75 or over would have been twentysomethings during the experimental age of the 1960s.

The NHS figures show that in total 888 pensioners were taken to A&E with illicit drug poisioning, with 283 of those aged at least 75.

David Raynes, from the National Drug Prevention Alliance, told the Times: 'We are getting to the period where people who grew up in the Sixties are of that age.

'People who have used drugs their whole lives will start to hit the NHS.'

Drug abuse charity DrugScope has called for more resources to be allocated to treatment services to deal ageing drug users.

The figures were released after an earlier study by scientists at King's College London found that illicit drug use among over 50s has soared in the last 20 years.

The study found that the number of pensioners using drugs, particularly cannabis, is likely to increase further still over the next 20 years.

In 2012, Sir Paul McCartney, now 71, gave up smoking cannabis after using it for almost 50 years.

The NHS figures show that in total 888 pensioners were taken to A&E with illicit drug poisioning, with 283 of those aged at least 75