Alcohol Abuse Increases in People Over 50 in Germany

Incidents of alcohol poisoning and abuse among people between 50 and 60 years of age have risen across Germany. The new statistics were gathered on about 6 million people covered by the insurance provider DAK. “We can show an increase in all German states as far as this age group is concerned,” said DAK Bavaria spokesman Claus Uebel. “There’s really no focal point. It applies to all German states.”

Between 2004 and 2008, DAK saw a 15 percent increase in hospital stays related to alcohol consumption in Bavaria for this age group. In the past year, more than 802 people received clinical treatment, compared to 683 people in 2004. “In comparison to other groups, this rate of increase was the highest,” DAK noted.

The state of Hesse saw a 42 percent increase, from 435 hospital admissions in 2004 to 629 in 2008. In Rhineland-Palatinate and Lower Saxony, the number of alcohol poisonings rose by more than 28 percent.

DAK noted that age factors increase the risk of depression and alcohol abuse, noting that older people have more difficulty metabolizing alcohol. The trend was also linked to a general increase in psychological strain over the past few years. In the last year, DAK noted a 7 percent increase in psychological illnesses nationwide, which could attribute to increased alcohol abuse.

The group also noted increased alcohol abuse among the 18 and under group, but they remained very surprised by the statistics for the senior group.