Alcohol problems, including alcohol use disorders (AUDs), are likely to begin in the late teens to early twenties and often persist into older age (Brennan et al., 2011; Grant et al., 2018; Schuckit, 2017). Although alcohol consumption and problems usually decrease as drinkers grow older (Knott et al., 2018), this trend has been less obvious in the recent decade where the proportion of individuals age 65 and older who drank increased by 20% and there was a two-fold increase in AUDs (Grant et al., 2018). Older drinkers carry additional risks because they develop higher blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) per drink, have greater brain sensitivity to alcohol’s effects, and display enhanced risks for alcohol-related medical problems and accidents (Bjork et al., 2008; Breslow et al., 2017; Grant et al., 2018; Moore et al., 2007; Schuckit and Smith, 2013; Shield et al., 2018; Vestal et al., 1977).
