ABSTRACT
Several of the substances of abuse are commonly used by elderly women, including alcohol and other sedative-hypnotics, opiate analgesics, and nicotine, in the form of tobacco cigarettes. Generally, these substances of abuse are used without interfering with an elderly woman's general health and safety. However, when patterns of use are associated with personal (e.g., mental distress; physical injury; death) and social (e.g., social isolation; abuse of a spouse) harm, they must be seriously considered and dealt with effectively. Currently, there is an increasing number of elderly women who display problematic patterns of substance use. Unfortunately, this situation is expected to continue into the next century and worsen significantly (L. A. Pagliaro & A.M. Pagliaro, 1992; Szwabo, 1993; Westemeyer, 1992).
