(Canastota, NY – Feb. 15, 2014) BRiDGES- Madison County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc. has received funding from the New York Council on Problem Gambling for 2014 to increase the number of parents who are committed to talking to their children about the dangers associated with underage gambling.
2014 marks the third year that the NY Council on Problem Gambling has given out mini-grants to local providers for the purpose of reaching out to parents. This year, the focus of the project is getting parents to talk to their children about problem gambling. The 2014 project includes the launch of a new video that portrays the effects of problem gambling on families. The video and accompanying toolkit can both be found for free at DontBetYet.com.
Research surrounding youth gambling participation and parent responses show a significant gap in parental concern for youth gambling behavior and actual youth gambling problems. Problem gambling researchers Gupta and Derevensky found that approximately 68 percent of youth between the ages of 14 and 21 report having gambled in the last year, while 11 percent report having gambled twice per week or more (Welte, 2007). Unfortunately, research also shows that that less than half of parents ever discuss gambling issues with their teen and that only 13 percent of parents believe that their teen actually gambles for money (DECODE, 2009).
Local providers participating in the 2014 Parent Outreach Project will conduct face-to-face educational sessions at parent groups and meetings, and will conduct media and outreach campaigns.
If you are involved with a parent group that is interested in learning more about talking to children about problem gambling, please contact: Gretchen Slater at 315-697-3947.
The mission of BRiDGES-Madison County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc. is to improve the quality of life by providing advocacy and services to our community, the workplace, families and individuals affected by addiction and the abuse of alcohol, tobacco and other substances.
The New York Council on Problem Gambling is a not-for-profit independent corporation dedicated to increasing public awareness about problem and compulsive gambling and advocating for support services and treatment for persons adversely affected by gambling. The Council maintains a neutral stance on gambling and is governed by a Board of Directors.
Find out more at www.bridges-mccasa.org and www.NYProblemGambling.org