The Numbers Behind Gambling By Jesse Smith http://slicer69.tripod.com/ This morning's paper declares a rather disturbing head line. It seems that in the province of Nova Scotia, there is a direct link between those who gamble and those who commit suicide. In fact, 6.3% (the study claims) of suicide victims were addicted to gambling. Wow. So gambling kills people. A lot of people. Gambling must be a bad thing. Or does it kill and is it a bad thing? According to Health Canada, about a thousand people die each year from suicide. That's quite a few. However, if we narrow our view to Nova Scotia, then that number falls to under a hundred. So, 6% of less than a hundred. That's less than six people a year. Since other factors are (according to the same paper) always involved in suicide, we can't pin gambling on those deaths for sure. This leaves us with six or less people that may or may not have killed themselves as a direct result of gambling. Suddenly, the evidence seems a little thin. By contrast, nearly a thousand people die every year in Nova Scotia from tobacco related problems. Lung cancer, asthma and such are much more fatal to eastern Canadians than gambling might be. The same applies to alcohol. Over use of alcohol is much harsher than gambling, according to Health Canada. But both drinking and smoking are legal past times. Ones than most people are not in a hurry to rid themselves of. It's a destructive freedom that we enjoy. So, maybe all three should be illegal? Why not do away with smoking, drinking and gambling? That would save over a thousand people a year in our province alone. Or would it? Think about how many people die in car crashes every year. Driving is perfectly legal. But the death toll is high. Perhaps we should out-law cars too. As many more people die in car crashes than in front of VLTs. While we'ere looking at things that kill people, let's move on toward cocaine. Over doses and side effects of cocaine hurt more people each year than gambling related problems. However, cocaine is illegal. People still use it, even though it's illegal. Hmm. Interestingly enough a while back folks out-lawed alcohol too. Look how well that worked out. My point? Making an activity illegal does not slow it down. Arguably, it might speed up the activity. We can't just sweep things we don't like under the rug and hope they go away. It is illegal for minors to purchase or smoke cigarettes. However, most smokers start during their mid teen years. Pot use isn't legal here, but many people use it. If gambling were made illegal, people would still do it. This brings me around to my main point. Too much of anything, even a good thing, is harmful. People should take care of themselves and take responsibility for their actions. Car crashes happen and people die. Why? Because they made a mistake. Some are addicted to cigarettes. Why? They started smoking. The same applies for illegal (and legal) drug use. Why should we feel the need to protect gamblers from themselves? Thousands of people in Nova Scotia gamble every year. A few percent of those develop a habit. It's not surprising. For any activity there are some that take it to extremes. Everything from pot use to driving to sky diving to alcohol. People should accept responsibility for taking the risk. I also noticed in today's paper that many people that are addicted to gambling are also taking social assistance. They are broke, jobless and depressed. Now, I have to wonder. Did the depression come before or after gambling? Chances are before. What starts as a release, a thrill and a chance to win the “big one” become obsession. Escape, ironically becomes its own trap. I have little sympathy for those that would rather sit in front of a VLT than get a job, working for their money. I conclude, I have no sympathy for those that blame their problems on the rest of us and would restrict our freedoms. People will continue to gamble, legally or not. Let's not make it harder for the majority that can do so responsibly.