CSP Ebere Amaraizu, the National Coordinator of Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), has decried young minds involvement in Gambling and its addiction, pointing out that it is one of the pull factors of young minds/Youth involvement into Social Vices amongst others.
Amaraizu made the observation Wednesday, while revealing the essence of module of engagement by the POCACOV Resource Centre in Enugu on the Dangers of Gambling, Addiction, Challenges, Negative consequences and its effect as well as way out for our young minds to thrive in a functional Community.
According to Amaraizu, young minds and youth gambling addiction is an ill wind that blows no good, hence, he advocated for the entire society approach, where all hands will be on deck by all relevant stakeholders to checkmate the emerging trend with a view to revising it.
He noted that one of the main draws of gambling, is the promise and expectation of great reward and this has left gambling addicted young persons to try at all cost to have money at all time for wagering.
He further stated that “young minds often struggle to properly deal with loses and tend to overcompensate by throwing even bigger money on this game of chance. Gambling encourages reckless and irresponsible behaviour and inhibits the ability to properly assess risks and consequences. It is obviously a pull factor to vices, depression, suicide and in some cases, mental disorder amongst others.
“Survey Conducted revealed that gambling addicted young minds/Youths are prone to missing schools, having low grade in schools and dropping out of school. It destroys academic life and career success.
“Gambling is observed to have gone into football Clubs where even players of football clubsides also wage money in the name of gambling against their clubsides; a situation which put their club at risk of achieving successes and at times slow their positive progression.
“Similarly, Youths addicted in gambling are more prone to substance and drug and abuse which increases the pathways and engagement in criminal activity such as sexual and gender based violence, advanced fee fraud also known as yahoo yahoo and ritual killings (Yahoo Plus) all which are serious and organized crime (SOC).
“Gambling is all about risk taking and so, this increases the chances of young minds getting into the pathways of risk taking which eventually exposes them to psychological and behavioural issues.”
Amaraizu however recommended that “reversing this trend will require participation of all relevant stakeholders through a whole of society approaches in order to curb the menace of Gambling and to save our young minds from its claws so that they can thrive for a functional community by joining in raising the awareness on the dangers that is associated with gambling.
“Another aspect is mentoring and reorientation and to create a better and safer environment for children to grow and thrive through Adult Guidance and Parent Support Program which will concentrate on negative consequences of Gambling/Betting, why it is addictive and why they should not associate themselves with it.”
Amaraizu also advocated for all various regulatory agencies to rise up to the challenges for a safe, peaceful and secured society and better Nation.
