MHF highlights Week 45, the national awareness week on alcohol, this year with a focus on older adults and alcohol

04.11.2025 - During Week 45, MHF will highlight the annual alcohol awareness week. This year the focus is on a group that rarely receives attention in the alcohol debate, older adults and alcohol.

Alcohol consumption among older adults has increased over the past decades, and as people age the body becomes more sensitive to the effects of alcohol. Research shows that older adults are at greater risk of health problems and have a significantly higher risk of falls after drinking alcohol.

“The body changes with age and becomes more vulnerable. There is less water in the body to dilute alcohol, which means that the same amount of alcohol leads to a higher blood alcohol level and a stronger effect,” says Sven Andréasson, physician at Beroendecentrum Stockholm, Riddargatan 1.

He also notes that alcohol related deaths among older adults are increasing as both the number of older people and their alcohol consumption rise. At the same time, these problems are not always picked up in healthcare.

“Older people are rarely asked about their alcohol habits in primary care. Many cases of risky use are never discovered,” Andréasson says.

Daily posts and a one hour special programme

Throughout Week 45, MHF will publish daily posts in its channels with facts, interviews and guidance linked to the theme “Older adults and alcohol”.

The week concludes with a one hour special programme from MHF’s TV studio, where three experts take part in an in depth conversation about causes, risks and possible solutions.

Care, knowledge and being willing to talk about alcohol

From the National Board of Health and Welfare, Michaela Prochazka, coordinator for issues concerning older adults, stresses the importance of both healthcare staff and family members being willing to talk about alcohol.

“Talking about alcohol with older people is part of good care. The earlier we can provide support and information, the better the chance to prevent harm and improve quality of life,” she says.

Björn Trolldal from CAN (Centralförbundet för alkohol och narkotikaupplysning) also contributes with new statistics and research on alcohol habits among older adults in Sweden.

Sharing knowledge together

MHF encourages other organisations, municipalities, healthcare actors and associations to share MHF’s posts and messages in their own channels during the week.

By working together to provide facts and raise awareness, more older adults can receive support and more family members may feel able to talk about the effects of alcohol.

“We want to raise knowledge and engagement around a topic that often ends up in the shadow of discussions about young people and alcohol. It is time to talk about how alcohol affects our older population, their health, safety and quality of life,” says Tommy Abrahamsson, project manager for Week 45 at MHF.

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Source. MHF