Note on reducing gambling harm and a public health approach to this
Note on reducing gambling harm and a public health approach to this Gambling harm is going up lots of radars now. The UK Govt has been reviewing the existing Gambling Act and the result of that is expected to be published shortly. This has been a rather turbulent beast to tame. It is out there to be 1) used by any who want to use it to frame evidence or arguments. I would be interested in your views. 1. Framing gambling It isn’t a “harmless leisure pursuit”. The question of how gambling is framed matters to the response. Many frame it as “a public health issue”. What that means requires careful definition. Will come back to) For more than 20 years, UK Government policy has portrayed gambling as, firstly, enjoyable; secondly, an expression of adult freedom; and, lastly, harmful only to a minority. The UK Government and policy makers have employed discourses that align more closely with those of the gambling industry than with those of the individuals, families, and communities