Substance abuse among seniors has become a silent epidemic, according to people at a workshop in Winnipeg Friday.

About 140 people representing seniors, aboriginal Canadians, rural Manitobans, and various ethnic communities filled the Crescentwood Community Centre for the event put on by the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba.

"I think it says something about the scope of the problem, something about the fact that there is an emerging interest and awareness around the problem," Sheri Fandrey, a prevention educator with the addictions foundation, said about the unexpectedly high turnout.

About 10 per cent of seniors either abuse or misuse medications, another 10 per cent abuse alcohol, and some mix both, Fandrey said.

Mae Petrie, who works with seniors and is hoping to open an aboriginal seniors centre in Brandon, said they often fail to follow their doctors' directions and self-medicate.

"I had a lot of problems with these older gentlemen. It says take one tablet twice a day and they would cut their tablets in half and they would only take that one [half] tablet," Petrie said. 

Illegal drugs like cocaine and marijuana are problems, too, she said.

"You'd be surprised."

Drug and alcohol abuse are also often related to elder abuse, Petrie said.

The problem is expected to get worse as the population ages, with the addictions foundation predicting that the number of seniors who need addiction treatment will triple by 2020.