By MATT MAURA
NASSAU, Bahamas (BIS) — Problem gambling has become a significant public health issue in The Bahamas, Minister of Health Dr. the Hon. Duane Sands said Monday. The Health Minister said the same is true “in other territories around the world”.
Addressing a Problem Gambling and Addiction Awareness Month Seminar hosted by the Public Hospitals Authority and Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre (SRC), in conjunction with the Bahamas Gaming Operators Association, Monday, March 4, Dr. Sands said according to anecdotal data, many Bahamian families are being impacted by the effects of problem gambling.
“For these persons, gaming or gambling has moved from an entertainment pastime to a full-fledged compulsive obsession,” Dr. Sands said.
The Health Minister said the American Psychiatric Association has classified problem gambling as an official disorder in the fifth edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (The DSM5).
This psychiatric/medical designation, Dr. Sands said, might suggest that problem gambling shares similar hallucinogenic characteristics with substance abuse disorders such as cocaine and heroin abuse.
The Health Minister said recognizing the significance of the problem, the Government of The Bahamas has committed to ensuring that individuals in The Bahamas impacted by problem gambling, get the necessary help and assistance in order to make wise and responsible choices, while also receiving the assistance needed to overcome their gambling addiction.
Additionally, healthcare officials are working to integrate gambling addiction services into the existing Substance Abuse Programme at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre and other healthcare services programmes in public and private institutions throughout the country.
