A CHARITY tackling alcoholism among the over-50s in Glasgow has been awarded more than £4 million from the Big Lottery Fund.
A consortium led by the charity Addaction will use the cash injection of £4.2m to work for five years on the programme, which aims to change the impact of drink on 35,000 in Scotland's biggest city.
About one in five of the over-50s population is exceeding recommended alcohol units, and Addaction said the number of older people in Scotland whose drinking may threaten their health would rise from 80,700 to 223,500 by 2031.
Addaction will lead on the work in Scotland with partners Royal Voluntary Service, Edinburgh Napier University and Scottish Training on Drugs and Alcohol (Strada).
The over-50s are more likely to drink to excess for various reasons, including bereavement, loneliness or isolation, or struggling to adapt to retirement, according to a recent study from the International Longevity Centre and the charity Independent Age.
The money for the Glasgow project is part of £25m earmarked for Drink Wise, Age Well projects across the UK, with other major charities in Sheffield, Devon, South Wales and Northern Ireland receiving support to tackle substance abuse and unsafe sex.
Baroness Sally Greengross, chief executive of the International Longevity Centre UK, said: "There is no doubt that baby boomers are 'behaving badly', challenging preconceptions of what it means to be old and engaging in risky behaviours in terms of drink, drugs and sex."
Official government statistics show alcohol-related deaths are highest among men aged 60 to 64, with 42.6 deaths per 100,000 in the population, and women aged 55 to 59 (22.2 deaths per 100,000). The 2010 General Lifestyle Survey revealed 20 per cent of people aged 50 and over drink every day, compared to three per cent of those aged 20 to 24.
The new programme will include projects to train staff in preventing problem drinking among older people, train peer mentors, and provide direct support to people with an alcohol problem.
Julie Breslin, business planning lead for Addaction Scotland, said: "In the past decade we have seen the most significant increases in levels of alcohol-related harm occurring in older age groups. In Scotland two-thirds of deaths where alcohol was the underlying cause were aged 50 years or over.
"Addaction are delighted to deliver the Drink Wise, Age Well programme in Glasgow with our partners to address this increasing problem."
Big Lottery Fund chairman Peter Ainsworth said the majority of programmes on alcohol were geared towards younger people: "The last thing we want to do is to tell older people they can't enjoy a relaxing drink with friends and family. We simply want to make sure that those over 50 are not neglected, are informed about the warning signs around alcohol problems and are able to find help if they need it.
"Addaction will bring their wealth of knowledge and experience, along with their partners across the UK, as we aim to reduce alcohol-related harm in older people and help them to live healthier, more active and independent lives."
Simon Antrobus, chief executive of Addaction, said: "Problem drinking doesn't happen in isolation - there are always other factors involved. This is especially true for the over-50s, who can end up drinking at harmful levels as they face challenging life transitions such as retirement, the loss of a loved one or loneliness.
"Drink Wise, Age Well is a great opportunity for us to raise awareness of these issues."
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