Tuesday, January 16, 2007

The British Medical Association report is warning that the forthcoming
relaxation in the laws may prompt a rise in problem gamblers. Doctors said
therapy was patchy with many addiction services not screening people for
gambling and the industry must invest £10m a year into research. But the
government said NHS services had a long history of helping people with
gambling addictions. The Gambling Act is due to come into force in
September, which paves the way for a host of new casinos, including the
controversial "super-casino". Seven in 10 adults gamble each year, helping
to sustain a £9bn industry. Research has shown that there are 300,000
problem gamblers, where their addiction can have an impact on their physical
and mental health, employment, finances and relationships. The report said
it was particularly worried about adolescent problem gamblers and the report
is calling for a review on whether slot machine gambling should be
prohibited to anyone under 18. It said fruit machine addiction can lead to
behavioural problems such as truanting, stealing and aggressive behaviour.
Studies have shown that gambling among young people often goes hand-in-hand
with other addictive activities such as drug taking and alcohol abuse and
has been linked to juvenile crime.
The BMA said at the moment treatment services were patchy with many services
not offering gambling support. Doctors said people going through drug and
alcohol addiction services should be routinely offered gambling screening
and tailored services if necessary. The BMA also called for the industry to
pay at least £10m per year through the Responsibility in Gambling Trust to
fund research, prevention and treatment programmes and warn customers of the
risk of addition.
BMA head of science and ethics Dr Vivienne Nathanson said: "Problem gambling
is associated with a number of health problems and the BMA is concerned that
there are insufficient treatment facilities available. "Psychological
problems can include anxiety, depression, guilt and suicidal thoughts.
"Relationships with family and friends can also be affected by gambling,
sometimes leading to separation and divorce.