Older adults bear the brunt of negative alcohol- and tobacco-related health consequences and mortality, yet they are often left behind in substance use research. This presentation will describe the epidemiology of alcohol and tobacco use in older adulthood, estimate longitudinal changes in use in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and discuss opportunities to engage people in services when clinically indicated.

Pia M. Mauro, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. As a substance use epidemiologist, Dr. Mauro’s work focuses on individual and structural drivers of substance use treatment need, uptake, availability, and outcomes. She is interested in health equity, policy, and working with marginalized populations over the life course, including people from racial or ethnic minoritized groups, older adults, and people exposed to the criminal legal system.

Event Zoom link: https://go.rutgers.edu/szs3hdyi