According to the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), in Italy, between 2010 and 2020, alcohol consumption among those over 55 increased by 20%, with a peak of 25% among women. Binge drinking – drinking large quantities of alcohol in a short period of time –, a phenomenon once associated with young people, now also affects this age group.
Cannabis use among 55-64 year olds has doubled since 2015, with European data confirming that Italy is among the countries with the fastest growth in this trend.
From 2010 to 2022, syphilis cases in Italy among people over 60 increased by 40%. This trend is mirrored in Europe, where gonorrhea among people over 65 increased by 60% in the same b2b email list period, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
3. Divorces and new beginnings:
In Italy, divorces among people over 60 have increased by 45% in the last ten years. More and more seniors are choosing to start a new life, often taking advantage of dedicated dating apps, which in Italy have seen a boom in users over 60 (+30% in 2022).
4. Participation in events and festivals:
Italian music festivals are seeing a growing turnout of over-50s. At Jova Beach Party 2022, for example, 20% of attendees were over 50. Abroad, Glastonbury and other historic festivals are seeing a similar presence.
But what drives a supposedly “wise” generation to behave like this? To understand, we must look at their past. Italian baby boomers grew up in an Italy that was bursting with optimism: the economic boom, television, the family car, the Vespa. They lived through the years of protest, of workers’ and students’ struggles. Their youth was a hymn to freedom and excess. And now, as they grow older, they don’t want to give up all of this.
But it’s not all roses and flowers. Their lifestyle has consequences, both personally and socially.
1. Alcohol and drug abuse leads to increased chronic disease and hospitalizations.