The latest
trend to hit high schools is supervised teenage gambling at
the Post Prom School Party. Over the past few months I
have received numerous emails from parents, students and
school faculty expressing concern about the new alternative
entertainment. In all cases these people believe it would
do more harm then good. The concept became reality for
students once the Post Prom Committee voted to accept this
new alternative entertainment.
This Post Prom
Committee believes this is safe night party for the High School
prom. The students who are taking part are between the ages of
sixteen and eighteen years old. Each student is able to purchase
fake money to gamble with and at the end of the night they can trade
this money in for prizes with at the end of the night. Some parents
believe this is a safe wonderful event for their children. While
others believe this is one area they prefer their kids not be
involved with.
One of the emails I
received was from a family who home schools their five children. I
was surprised since their kids were not involved. She had explained
to me that her daughter who is seventeen has friends who attend the
public school system. She went on to tell me the negative behavior
exhibited by these teens after the event took place. In fact they
taught her daughter how to play black jack and poker. This is a
good neighborhood that has strong community ties. She also
informed me that she not see the difference between using fake money
or real money when you still have a chance to win a prize that has
value. She believes these teens are being educated on how to
gamble, win and take the easy way out.
People in favor of this gambling event, nicely told those who were
against it to have their teenager’s stay home. It was my
understanding the post prom parties were supposed to be for
everyone.
It surprised me that a school district finds gambling night an
acceptable behavior for our teenagers.
I have seen first hand the self destruction gambling can do to
teenagers and adults. It’s my belief that gambling should be
limited to people who are eighteen and over.
Another email was asking me for the specific statistics on the
negative impact on a teenager’s who attend a gambling event.
General statistics reflect a percentage of those in attendance will
develop a compulsive gambling addiction. Some of these same
students may become addicted at some point in their life. I have
found that addictions to gambling are not age sensitive. People of
any age who are gambling for the very first time can develop a
gambling addiction. Usually a friend or family member takes them to
the gambling establishment. I first found it difficult to
understand how a person who is sixty five retired and on a fixed
income gets addicted to gambling. The seniors I spoke with were
very upset and didn’t understand how this happened to them. The
unfortunate part is they lost their pensions and now only have their
Social Security to live on. In one case the Grandmother has to move
in with her daughter.
There is very little difference between supervised gambling and
allowing supervised drinking alcoholic beverages or serving the
students there choice of dugs on a silver platter. If a Principal
served a student an alcoholic drink he would be arrested. I am
trying to understand how school educators and parents can
distinguish between alcohol and gambling on school property. How is
one more acceptable then the other?
Studies have shown that there is a correlation between alcohol
addiction and gambling addiction. The correlation was based on
individuals who attend both Gamblers Anonymous and Alcoholics
Anonymous meetings.
It would be a shame to find out ten years from now that students who
took part in supervised gambling at the High School level their
future was compromised by a life of self destruction and low self
esteem.
It’s a proven statistics that students who gamble get a similar rush
as if they just had an alcoholic beverage. The only difference here
they will not wake up with a hang over and the side effects are
minimal until it’s too late.
We have now given our students another option in life. The major
concern is the student’s will probably like the rush from gambling a
lot more then alcohol and or drugs since there is no hang over or
smell. Some students are likely to continue gambling. Students
with A grades are not exempt from this. Statistics show that
compulsive teenage gamblers are also very bright and articulate
individuals.
People need to be educated on teenage gambling and its long term
affects. It’s illegal to gamble if you are under 18. It’s also
illegal to drink if you are under 18 (some places 21) and it’s
illegal to smoke cigarettes if you are under 18. These laws were
set for a reason. Another email I received wanted to know do these
school systems have any respect for the Law?
I emailed each of the people and asked why haven’t they raised their
concerns to the school board? They all responded the same. “We are
the minority and now we look bad in front of our kids.” This is
truly a no win situation.
The parents who are against this sort of entertainment believe; if
just one student develops a compulsive gambling addiction that is
one too many.
Teenage Gambling
Page
1
2
3
