Islanders in their 80s and 90s hitting the bottle behind closed doors

Friday 28 August 2015

Some Islanders in their 80’s and 90’s are drinking “dangerous levels” of alcohol and are struggling to break the habit after decades of addiction.

That’s the view of addiction therapy specialist Jason Wyse, who says that elderly people in Jersey with alcohol problems go unnoticed because they are often isolated and their drinking goes on behind closed doors.

The comments come as a result of a report published in the British Medical Journal that shows wealthy pensioners are the most likely to drink too much, and those that do are putting their health at risk. The report concluded that one-in-five older drinkers in the UK is consuming dangerous levels of alcohol.

It found that 14% of the most prosperous over-65’s in the UK are drinking over the “safe limit” of 21 units per week, with some older men consuming over 49 units every seven days – the equivalent to four bottles of wine.

Mr Wyse, who runs the Channel Islands’ only residential addiction therapy centre, said that drinking by the elderly is a hidden problem.

“There is a problem with alcohol abuse that goes undetected in older people,” says Mr Wyse

 “We do see older people who seek help locally but the problem arises, where care is concerned, with people who are in there 80’s or 90’s. It’s a lot harder for them to make a lifestyle change at that stage of life.

“The problem arises after retirement; people aren’t sure what to do with themselves and with the dramatic change in their life; alcohol can take more of a hold then.

 “Drinking in older people doesn't go undetected - it just isn’t published in the media, instead we see stories about those whose drinking is more noticeable and has the biggest effect on society, particularly young people.”

The recent findings show the potential for alcohol related harm in older people which has led to GP’s in the UK being called upon to routinely question members of the baby boom generation on their drinking habits. Educating Islanders of the risk is crucial in combatting the issue according to Mr Wyse.

 “My view is that what we have seen in Jersey is an increase in education and an acknowledgment that alcoholism is a real problem on the Island,” he said.

 “Twenty years ago we saw something similar with smoking; it was portrayed as cool and everybody did it; today it has become anti-social and uncool because we know the risks; there has been a massive social change.

 “Education is not just about kids; it’s for all ages. The focus of society has been on prevention within the younger age groups but we are beginning to see a shift to and education that encompasses all. 

 “I think the more people know about the effect that their actions have on their body, particularly where alcohol is concerned, then the more informed decisions people can make.”