Stoned seniors: Germany faces epidemic of hippy pensioners
By TONY PATERSON,Independent.co.uk - They include sixty-plus grandmothers spaced out on LSD and 70-year-old grandpas in court for dealing dope: Germany is struggling to cope with a rapid increase in “pensioner hippies” who are still hooked on drugs nearly half a century after the end of the Flower Power era.
The “stoned grandparent” phenomenon has begun to alarm legal and welfare authorities in the country’s most populous state of North Rhine Westphalia, where the number of pensioners annually convicted of drug offences has almost doubled over the past decade to around 117 each year.
The problem has prompted the launch of a scheme to help geriatric specialists familiarise themselves with addiction and old age. “Older people are increasingly turning to illegal drugs,” Gaby Schnell of the regional senior citizen’s association told Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine. “This is a new development which has only surfaced over the last few years.”
Most of the cases on record have involved pensioner-aged hippies convicted of drug related offences. In one incident, a narcotics crime squad in Dortmund arrested a 69-year-old drugs dealer nicknamed “Opium grandpa”. Officers tricked the pensioner into selling them 20 grams of the drug in exchange for €250. He was given a two year suspended sentence.
Other cases included a 71-year-old pensioner convicted of selling marijuana to adolescents in a Cologne park and a 73-year old who required medical treatment after consuming too many “hash cookies”. A recent police investigation in Solingen broke up a ring in which an 85-year-old woman was actively engaged in pushing hard drugs. Three kilos of heroin, a quantity of cocaine and two guns were found in her apartment. More…
with it , they will die , it has control over them what a way to live , could not be good thing.
Confusing article. First, the seniors are “…still hooked on drugs nearly half a century…”. Then, “Older people are increasingly turning to illegal drugs…” Which is it?
The article also separates alcohol from drug usage???? It says nothing about prescription drug abuse/addiction. What about tobacco…the most dangerous and addictive drug?
This article lumps drug usage and drug addiction in one group. It does not address the problem this has on society, except that there are more arrests (well, then legalize the drugs and end the major problem).
Whatever effect it has on the individual is their own personal choice.
It says the reasons for this “trend” are that seniors are copying rock stars, like Willie Nelson (he’s a rock star???). Maybe they are just old enough and wise enough to know that marijuana and LSD just are not that harmful, compared to the shit they can get from their doctors…which would not be seen as addicts, ‘cuz a doctor give them the shit.
Obviously, a serious addiction to heroin, alcohol, tobacco or pharmaceutical drugs are a serious problem for those that must care for the elderly…but this article only talks about the growing number of arrests.
A serious look at drug usage and abuse does not follow this pro-pharmaceutical industry PR formula.
“Germany is struggling to cope with a rapid increase in “pensioner hippies” who are still hooked on drugs nearly half a century after the end of the Flower Power era.”
Think about that statement: If these people were not killed by cannabis in all these years, doesn’t that say something for cannabis? If they had been drinking excessively all that time, they would have either died, or be in terrible health by now. Also, if they are using cannabis, they aren’t “hooked” on anything, because use of cannabis causes no withdrawal syndrome whatsoever. If anybody claims to be addicted, their addiction is purely mental.
It seems that we now do know the long term effects of cannabis use. We have many older people who have been using it all their lives, and most of them have been successful people. Most of them never used any stronger drugs, unless they drank alcohol as well. But this has been proven time and time again, yet people cling to their fears.