Back in 2004, I published an article in the BMJ arguing that the social and health costs of problem gambling are immense. This is a very big problem indeed-especially when you factor in the misery that it can inflict on their loved ones.įor many years, I have been arguing that GPs should be in the front line of screening people for gambling addiction. The survey also found that a further 4.3 percent had gambling problems that 'were low to medium in severity.' That's around 2.8m people potentially at risk of becoming problem gamblers. population, that's around 600,000 people whose lives are blighted by this destructive addiction. That may not sound like much, but if you extrapolate that figure to the U.K. Read the original article.Ī survey of 1,058 people attending GP clinics in Bristol, England, found that 0.9 percent were problem gamblers. This article was originally published on The Conversation.
