More than 42,000 adults over the age of 50 were admitted into state-certified substance abuse treatment programs in 2007.  The number is expected to grow exponentially as the Woodstock generation ages into the ranks of senior citizens.  One federal study estimates the number of older addicts in the United States will rise to 4.4 million by 2020, up from 1.7 million in 2001.  One of the addictions issues is being with your peers.  Your pathway in treatment and recovery at age 60 is different than age 21.  Mostly, they want to reconnect with their children and grandchildren.
    The older addicts talk about the guilt of raising children while feeding their addictions.  They understand the shame of being banned from the driver's seat or forbidden from seeing their grandchildren.
    Kenneth Pallister, 50, was homeless.  He wore a long beard and his hair reached down his back.  He pushed a grocery cart around Albany, collecting bottles to support his habit: three cases of beer and a bottle of vodka a day.  He screamed at people to scare them away.  After a long-term stay in a rehabilitation program, he was sober but still homeless.  He later found a home and still attends meetings four times a week.  He says that he was given a choice of dying as an alcoholic or recovering as an alcoholic, and there's a big difference. 

I think we're really starting to realize that addiction doesn't discriminate against any race or age.  This article actually scares me a lot because my dad is turning 50 very soon and is still an alcoholic.  I'm wondering how long he will maintain his lifestyle or if he will ever sober up.

I dont think we really know whats going to happen in 2020. For sure there will still be addicts, but each year were getting better at helping addicts recover. So we may ofcourse be gaining addicts but were also recovering a lot. It's really sad when adults who are expected to be wise are the ones drinking their lives away or living the rest of their lives high. You mentioned some grandparents do this to reconnect with their grandkids, I dont think thats true. I know I've heard of parents doing that but not grandparents. I think grandparents may be turning to drugs for entertainment. They dont work, I'm sure many have lost their dear friends, and they need something entertaining so they turn to bad things like drugs.