Gambling and related issues have featured prominently in the local media in recent weeks, since Graham Steele, minister responsible for Part 1 of the Gaming Control Act, announced the process to develop a new gaming strategy for Nova Scotia.
As we consider the future of gambling in our province, I hope we will include in our deliberations a serious discussion around the public health impacts of gambling. As those of us who work in the field of addictions know all too well, gambling has a human face, and it often incurs a human cost.
According to the 2007 Adults Gambling Prevalence Study (AGPS), approximately 6.1 per cent of adult Nova Scotians (or about 47,000) are at risk for, or already experiencing, problems with gambling. The same study noted that, of those 47,000 individuals, about 19,000 are considered to have moderate or severe problems with gambling. It is also true that less than 12 per cent of Nova Scotians know about gambling treatment services. As a result, many who are experiencing problems with gambling do not get the professional help that they need.
At Addiction Prevention and Treatment Services, we support individuals who are affected by a harmful involvement with gambling. Unfortunately, by the time many individuals come through our doors, their involvement has already seriously harmed their relationships, employment, financial situations and — often — their mental and physical well-being.
For this reason, promotion of our services as well as prevention and education are all important parts of our organization’s mandate. Empowering people to seek treatment earlier and helping Nova Scotians make wise choices about their involvement with gambling — thereby preventing more serious problems down the road — are crucial. To make wise choices, Nova Scotians need to be aware that gambling is not a risk-free activity. The Nova Scotia Department of Health Promotion and Protection offers helpful strategies to reduce the risks involved with gambling. I encourage people to view these strategies on the HPP website at www.gov.ns.ca/hpp/addictions/gambling/reducerisk.asp.
Moreover, some gambling products are associated with greater harms. According to the 2007 Adult Gambling Prevalence Study, one out of every four Nova Scotians who regularly takes part in video lottery terminal gambling goes on to experience problems with gambling, and one in five who have ever tried daily lottery take up regular playing patterns. Gamblers should inform themselves about the risks involved in any products they use. When choosing to use high-risk products, they should exercise caution and set limits in advance of play.
New player card technology is now available to help individuals set limits on their play. This type of player card can be an extremely useful tool, particularly if it has universal application, so that all VLT players, including those who have already experienced problems with their gambling, can set safe limits of play. We applaud our province for introducing this technology, and we hope that it will be made even more widely available in the coming years.
Finally, I want to encourage anyone who is concerned about their — or a loved one’s — involvement with gambling to seek professional support. Help is available, and treatment works. In Capital Health District, individuals can access counselling, education and other types of support by calling Addiction Prevention and Treatment Services at 424-8866 or 1-866-340-6700. Or please visit www.addictionservices.ns.ca/ to find the contact information of an addiction services organization in your community.
By Trevor Briggs, director of Addiction Prevention and Treatment Services, Capital Health
