Can children become addicted to online gaming?
Dr Mark Griffiths, professor of behavioural addiction at Nottingham Trent University, offers his advice for parents concerned about their child's online gaming habits.
Dr Mark Griffiths, professor of behavioural addiction at Nottingham Trent University, offers his advice for parents concerned about their child's online gaming habits.
A new Gambling Commission report suggests that 9,000 are likely to be problem gamblers.
Is gambling an addiction like drugs? And is your child at risk of becoming a problem gambler?
Cannabis is still the world’s most popular illegal drug worldwide - but in the UK, its use is falling. For most people, cannabis is not
Paul Buck had a great job in finance until it was ruined by problem gambling. He believes the temptations to gamble are greater - and a lot more visible - for young people than they were when he was a teenager. Here he identifies the different stages when gambling becomes a problem and suggests where to go for help if you're concerned.
Since when has gambling been something parents need to worry about? The law is clear, surely? Well, yes, it is, and under-18s aren't supposed to gamble - but 15% of 11-16 year-olds say that they've gambled in the last week. Plus we know that the earlier you start, the greater the chances of becoming a problem gambler in later life. So should parents be as concerned about gambling as about, say, drugs?