et al., 2014). Thus, targeted screening and brief intervention may be an effective strategy, particularly when implemented in primary care or emergency department settings, given that utilization of both types of services increase with age (Schappert and Burt, 2006). Furthermore, it may be important to understand the differential impact by age of various types of policy interventions such as alcohol tax and price increases and restrictions on outlet density and to implement alcohol policies that are most effective at curbing drinking for those in mid-adulthood (Grucza and Plunk, 2016). Another area for further research and possible intervention is the co-use of alcohol and prescription drugs, particularly other central nervous system depressants such as benzodiazepines and opioids. While the role of interactions involving these drugs in alcohol-related morbidity trends is largely uncharacterized, higher usage with age combined with increasing prescription rates for psychotropic medications over time among US adults in combination with rising rates of binge drinking is clearly a cause for concern (Olfson et al., 2014; Bachhuber et al., 2016; Hirschtritt et al., 2018). This emerging public health problem warrants a deeper understanding and targeted pragmatic alcohol-related interventions in middle-adulthood and beyond.
