STONE DRUNK SENIORS: ELDERLY ALCOHOLICS ON THE RISE

STONE DRUNK SENIORS: ELDERLY ALCOHOLICS ON THE RISE

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Wireless Flash) -- Your gray-haired granny may be hiding a terrible secret: she's got a monkey on her back. According to the substance abuse researchers at the Hazelden Foundation, the number of senior citizens with alcohol and drug addictions is expected to surge in the next few years. Carol Egan -- who runs a recovery program for seniors in West Palm Beach, Florida, -- says many of the addicted oldsters came of age at a time when popping "Mother's Little Helpers" like Valium was considered harmless. She predicts the number of alcohol- and drug-abusing seniors will climb even higher when Baby Boomers reach senior status, since they've had their fair share of recreational drug abuse. Egan says many of the signs of drug and booze addiction -- shaky hands, constant napping and forgetfulness -- are similar to the signs of old age, so friends and families often don't recognize the problem.