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A study of the drinking behavior of 928 noninstitutional residents of Boston, aged 60 or older, showed that 53 per cent were abstainers; 26 per cent had less than one drink per day; 16 per cent, one to two drinks; and 6 per cent, two or more drinks. Nine subjects (1 per cent) were self‐reported problem drinkers, and another 31 (3 per cent) reported that drinking had diminished the quality of their lives. Problem drinkers and those with alcohol‐related problems were likely to be young‐old native‐born men. They were less likely to be satisfied with their relationships with family members, spouses, and close friends. All problem drinkers had long‐term drinking problems. Most had sought treatment, but only one was being treated at the time of the study. The data suggest that current theories do not adequately explain late‐life problem drinking and that current initiatives do not adequately address the needs of the elderly population at large.

A sample survey of 928 Bostonians, aged sixty years or older, indicates that there are low levels of alcohol consumption: more than half report that they are abstainers; 6 percent indicate that they have two or more drinks daily. Levels of abstinence are particularly high among women, blacks, Jews, widows and widowers, the foreign-born, those with low levels of formal education, and those aged seventy-five years or older. Among social psychological variables, locus of control is most consistently associated with drinking: those who report little influence upon their futures—in terms of work, marriage, income, and leisure activities—are more likely to abstain. There is also an association with optimisim; those who are least optimistic about their prospects for work and leisure activities are most likely to abstain. Analysis of variance shows that gender, education, ethnicity, religion, age, and locus of control regarding work are independent correlates of alcohol use. The data suggest that older people drink mainly in social contexts and to facilitate social interaction.

Data from a survey of 928 older Bostonians show that there is a negative correlation between age and alcohol consumption among older adults: i.e., “old-old” people-those who are seventy-five years old or older—are more likely to abstain and less likely to drink in any quantity than the “younger-old”—those aged sixty-seventy-five years old. Since the study collected only cross-sectional data, it is not clear whether there are developmental trends in alcohol consumption-that people drink less as they grow older—or whether there are cohort or generational effects. However, several retrospective data suggest that there are cohort or generational patterns of drinking behavior by older adults. Very old respondents, who now drink less than their younger counterparts, report consistently different patterns of life-long drinking habits; they report different parental drinking habits, and they have consistently different attitudes toward the effects of alcohol consumption upon health. The survey provides no insight into the nature of the historical factors which account for the differences in alcohol use. However, Prohibition, Repeal, and the Depression are likely to have played important roles.