Prescription Drugs & Alcohol Don't Mix

SAMHSA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released public education materials to alert older Americans about the dangers of mixing certain prescription drugs or prescription medications with alcohol, and to highlight the need for vigilance and monitoring of prescription intake by older adults.

Two percent of adults age 55 or older who are admitted for treatment abuse prescription narcotic medications, according to SAMHSA data. The As You Age education materials aim to draw attention to the need to manage prescription medication intake, as well as the dangers of mixing some medications with alcohol.

The materials include a series of print ads, radio and television public service announcements, a brochure, and a Web site featuring all these resources available for download.

In addition, SAMHSA and the FDA have published a brochure, also titled As You Age, which provides a medication checklist to help older adults keep track of medication types, dose amount, and the proper intervals to take their medication. This brochure also points to the dangers of consuming alcohol with a medication that might have adverse effects due to negative interactions. (For sample safety tips, see SAMHSA News, Safety Tips on Medicines & Alcohol.)

The materials were released at a joint press conference together with the Administration on Aging during the May observance of Older Americans Month.

SAMHSA has also established a hotline for drug abuse treatment referral. For help, call the SAMHSA substance abuse treatment 24-hour helpline at 1 (800) 662-HELP or 1 (800) 662-4357. For the names of treatment providers, visit SAMHSA's Web site at www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov.

To obtain materials, contact SAMHSA's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at P.O. Box 2345, Rockville, MD 20847-2345. Telephone: 1 (800) 729-6686 (English and Spanish) or 1 (800) 487-4889 (TDD). On the Web, visit www.asyouage.samhsa.gov.

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