Council Column
The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) provides updates on activities by NCPG and its 33 state affiliates to increase public awareness of efforts to address problem gambling. The NCPG is a nonprofit organization founded in 1972 to increase public awareness of pathological gambling, ensure widespread availability of treatment for problem gamblers and their families, and to encourage research and programs for prevention and education. The NCPG maintains a neutral stance, neither for nor against legalized gambling.
Recent accomplishments and activities of the national and state councils include the following:
California - West Coast Seminar on "Gambling Court"
On Sept. 12, the California Council on Problem Gambling sponsored a half-day Continuing Legal Education seminar at Whittier College that addressed gambling addiction and the criminal justice system. Judge Mark Farrell, a New York Drug Court judge for nearly eight years, spoke about the need for diversion programs to address the underlying addictions that fuels gambling related crimes. "Gambling Court" is a new and revolutionary approach to getting at the causes of the criminal activities, rather than the tired approach of lumping all addicts into the "one-size-fits-all" model. Additionally, Professor I. Nelson Rose conducted a related presentation on the history of gambling. Plans are under way for a similar event to be held in Illinois later this year.
Nevada - Responsible Gaming Education Week Community Partnership
The Nevada Resort Association and the Nevada Council on Problem Gaming teamed up to broaden the scope of the industry's annual Responsible Gaming Education Week campaign by enlisting the involvement of some of Souther Nevada's largest nongaming employers. Public and private companies who joined the employee awareness initiative included the City of Las Vegas, Clark County, Clark County School District, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept., Sprint, Sunrise Hospital, Wells Fargo Bank and Nellis Air Force Base. Using resource materials and staff briefings provided by the Nevada Council, these companies made a commitment to include program gambling information in regular employee communications throughout the year. The Nevada Council will continue to work closely with the companies to help develop ongoing employee awareness programs and to create company policies that support treatment of problem gambling disorders
National Problem Gambling Awareness Week(March 10-14, 2003)
The inaugural National Problem Gambling Awareness Week (NPGAW) has been scheduled for the week of March 10, 2003. This new public awareness campaign is a collaborative project initiated by the National Council on Problem Gambing (NCPG) and the Association of Problem Gambling Service Administrators (APGSA). Modeled on other successful mental health awareness events, such as National Depression Screening Day, the NPGAW will focus on raising public awareness of problem gambling as a community health issue, while providing professionals with problem gambling screening tools and referral resources. Materials will be distributed to a wide variety of professionals, such as physicians, attorneys, probation officers, therapists and others, who will be encouraged to use this information to identify and refer problem gamblers to appropriate resources for assistance. The NCPG and APGSA will work closely with federal, tribal, state and local governments, the gaming industry, and other interested organizations and individuals to develop and implement this nationwide event. For additional information, or to offer your support, contact Keith Whyte at 202-547-9204 or Tim Christensen at 402-479-5574.
