New research out of the University of Kentucky suggests that older social drinkers become intoxicated faster than younger social drinkers and that older drinkers may not realize they are drunk.

HealthDay News reported March 5 that even small amounts of alcohol may affect older adults more than younger adults.

The researchers tested individuals ages 50-74 and 25-35 on visual-motor coordination, planning, and the ability to move from one thought to the next, after giving them enough alcohol to reach the same blood-alcohol content.

Each person took the test twice; once 25 minutes after drinking, and again 75 minutes after drinking. The researchers found that the older adults performed worse on the first test than the younger adults, even though the older adults said they did not feel drunk.

"Older adults thought they were fine when they weren't," said researcher Sara Jo Nixon, who teaches at the University of Florida in Gainesville. "You really can't rely on asking, 'Are you alright to drive,' even with lower amounts of alcohol. This may be particularly true for older adults."

The findings were published in the March 2009 issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.