Experts warn that the 78 million-strong baby-boomer generation is bringing its propensity to use pills and pot to its senior years.

They are perhaps best known for their youthful indulgence in an exotic menu of illicit substances such as Acapulco Gold, windowpane acid, mescaline and Quaaludes.

Now, experts warn, the 78 million-strong baby-boomer generation is bringing its propensity to use pills and pot to its senior years. In what researchers call the tip of an ominous trend, boomers are responsible for a spike in drug and alcohol abuse that is expected to mushroom in coming years.