Government clinics to treat addiction will appear in the U.K.
The Ministry of Health of Great Britain plans to create clinics for children and young people suffering from addiction to gambling. According to the newspaper The Independent the authorities will open up to 14 specialized clinics in the country.
The reason for this decision was disappointing statistics showing an increase in the number of addicts among the younger generation. According to the British Gambling Commission, the number of addicted children at the age of 11-16 years old has quadrupled and exceeded 50 thousand people.
“We have good reason to modernize mental health services for children and youth. Gambling deserves special attention, especially given its popularization on the Internet,” commented NHS spokeswoman Claire Murdock.
The first clinic will appear this summer in Leeds. The government will then open treatment facilities in Manchester and Sunderland. The facilities are expected to focus on treating young people between the ages of 13 and 25.
In June 2016, there was an incident involving the death of 23-year-old Joshua Jones in London. He jumped from the ninth floor of a high-rise building. As it turned out later, the young man was heavily into Internet gambling. In total, he owed creditors about £30,000.
