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Coroners ignoring gambling evidence , say grieving families
Families of people who have taken their own lives as a result of gambling-related harm are being ‘ routinely denied inquests that properly consider gambling ’, says a new report .
The inquests are also failing to take into account the ‘ role of gambling companies and the wider gambling landscape ’ within their scope , says the study , which was carried out by researchers at Birkbeck , University of London and the University of Bath in collaboration with the Gambling with Lives charity .
This is despite the ‘ best efforts ’ of the families to present evidence and raise the issue , says the report , which is the first to look at coroners ’ inquests among families bereaved by gamblingrelated suicide .
The families generally ‘ perceived there to be an unwillingness for the deceased ’ s gambling and the role of gambling companies to be included within the scope of the investigation and inquest ’, the report states , despite many going to ‘ considerable lengths to provide details of the
A BAN ON TV ADVERTISING for alcohol products before 9pm has come into force in Ireland . Section 19 of the Public Health ( Alcohol ) Act 2018 ( PHAA ) also includes a ban on radio ads for alcohol between 3am and 10am the following day .
Two further sections of the act , however – which relate to the content of alcohol ads , and ads in publications – are still to be enacted . The former , section 13 , is being challenged by the alcohol industry as gambling and submit detailed evidence to the coroner ’.
This evidence was then either accepted without comment or ignored altogether , the document says , with no subsequent mention of gambling on the record of inquest or death certificate . This narrow scope means opportunities to help to prevent future deaths and inform debates about gambling reform are being missed , the researchers state .
‘ The fact is , nobody is interested ,’ said one interviewee ‘ We know , and have got proof … that he died from a gambling addiction . There ’ s – be it bank records and his emails and all that – evidence to show that , and nobody cares . To us , he ’ s dead ; nothing can be done . But it is the prevention of future deaths that should be important , and you ’ d hope someone would care about that , and they don ’ t seem to .’
More than 10 per cent of almost 10,000 respondents to the Gambling Survey for Great Britain had ‘ reported suicidal thoughts or an attempt to end their life in the previous 12 months ’, with
it contains requirements to include health information such as cancer warnings .
Long known for its drinking culture , in 2021 Ireland was ranked 9th highest for per capita alcohol consumption among OECD countries – although this had fallen to 16th by 2023 .
‘ Ireland is rightly praised internationally for its leadership in passing the PHAA , which is a suite of quite modest measures designed to provide some degree of protection from the tactics of
PHE evidence review previously finding that people with gambling problems were ‘ at least ’ twice as likely than the general population to die as a result of suicide ( DDN , November 2021 , page 4 ).
‘ Gambling may be called the hidden addiction but most families knew about the gambling or found out about it very soon after the death of their family member ,’ said Gambling with Lives co-founders Liz and Charles Ritchie , who lost their son Jack to gambling-related suicide in 2017 .
‘ We do not want to lay the blame for this failure at the door of any individual coroner , but see it as part of the wider lack of understanding about the dangers of gambling and ignorance of the longestablished link between gambling and suicide , which has been perpetuated by the gambling industry . To ensure that future gambling deaths are prevented it is vital that the government ensures that every death is fully investigated and lessons are learned .’ We were not included available at https :// www . gamblingwithlives . org /
Ireland bans pre-watershed drink ads
an aggressive industry acting against the population ’ s health through relentless marketing ,’ said CEO of the Alcohol Action Ireland charity , Dr Sheila Gilheany .
‘ However , the fact that the broadcast watershed is only coming into force now , almost seven years after being signed into law , and that not all sections of the PHAA are in force yet shows the power of the alcohol industry ’ s lobbying efforts to stymie and delay progress .’ See feature , page 6
Local News
SEAL OF QUALITY Erskine-based Abbeycare Scotland has become the UK ’ s first residential rehab to be awarded the internationally recognised BSI ISO 9001 quality management accreditation . ‘ The stand ard is recognised in almost 200 countries worldwide and is a huge vote of confidence in our organisation , our dedicated staff , and the way we operate ,’ said Abbeycare chief executive Paul Bowley .
WOLVES WALK This year ’ s Recovery Walk will take place in Wolverhampton on 13 September , starting at 1pm , and promises to be a ‘ powerful celebration of recovery , resilience , and hope ,’ say organisers FAVOR UK . For more information visit www . facesand voicesofrecoveryuk . org /
TESTING TIMES Liverpool is expanding ‘ opt-out ’ testing for HIV , hep C and hep B across its hospital A & E departments , after earlier pilots in London , Brighton , Birmingham , and Manchester identified more than 4,000 cases in 18 months . The expansion will ‘ help reduce inequalities and ensure more people know their status , receive the support they need , and stay healthy ,’ said the city ’ s director of public health Professor Matthew Ashton .
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