Alcohol Consumption by Older New York City Residents: The Need for New Policies to Address Misuse

Aims: The aim of this study is to assess risk factors for alcohol misuse among older New York City residents and examine the effect of local public health efforts to address alcohol misuse. Methods: The Community Health Survey, a cross-sectional telephone survey of 8500 randomly selected adult New Yorkers, records the frequency of alcohol use. We examine these results among 65 and older subjects by sociodemographic status using logistic regression modeling and compare trends in smoking and alcohol consumption between 2002 and 2016. Results: Those with unhealthy drinking habits, combining binge drinking and excessive consumption, constituted 5.7% of 65 plus population and were more likely to be White, US born, healthy, better educated and wealthier. The percentage of older smokers in New York City has decreased while unhealthy drinking is nearly flat since 2002. Conclusions: Our findings reinforce the importance of screening geriatric populations for alcohol use disorders and support the development of new public health efforts to address alcohol misuse if the city is to achieve results similar to those obtained in decreasing tobacco consumption.