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Forum Looks at Youth Gambling

IOWA – As reported by the Iowa Press-Citizen: "Charles Nelson makes up part of the rare one percent of the U.S. population estimated to be pathological gamblers.

"But Thursday, the Des Moines resident and former Drake University history professor appeared at the University of Iowa to attend a symposium on pathological gambling. He listened to experts speak about new medical treatments, therapy methods and studies on youth gambling. He shared stories about how he battled with thoughts of suicide and copes with his addiction and an $86,000 debt.

"…Faculty in the UI College of Public Health say college students, ages 19 to 22, have a heightened risk for developing a gambling addiction and in April passed a resolution to oppose construction of a casino and golf resort near Riverside.

"Specialists who spoke Thursday agreed UI students might be at risk. Ken Winters, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Minnesota and director of the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research, said young adults were more at risk for become pathological gamblers because they have more access to gaming, could be subject to peer pressure and were independent from their parents.

…"About 5 percent of young adults are problem gamblers compared to an estimated 2.9 percent of teenagers and an estimated 1 percent of adults, Winters said. He pointed out that lthough the number for teenagers likely is exaggerated, the number of young adults likely is close to reality…"

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