The first topic I'd like to discuss as it's something I see everyday is Addiction, now I work in a particular book makers as a Shop Manager as you may or may not of heard about the FOBT's ( Fixed Odds Betting Terminal ) yes that's right they are actually called fixed odds so yes you are always going to loose in the long run, but these new machines they have bought in our ruining people's livelihoods. Now I'm not saying it's 100% the book makers fault but at the same time why in the most deprived areas in the London do we have some of the most high tech shops, take for example Wood Green or Tottenham now I've worked in these shops and they have 42' flat screen TV's and nice new coffee makers, this is an aim at the poorer people in our city to just carry on being poor and spending all there money on gambling ; surely we should be encouraging these people to go out and get a job in there area ; why not have a massive job centre with the best tech inside to do applications online and give help to the people that need it. I've gone of topic so let's get back on track the point I'm trying to make here is addiction is a very big part of gambling and that's how the bookies know they will make there money as they have regulars who come in everyday and bet their savings or wages, the one really sad thing about a gambling addiction much like a person addicted to alcohol is that there is no cure; there's no way out its all in the brain.
Let's look at something new and something very dominate in most people's teenage years which is drugs, now drugs can be very dangerous if not done in the correct way, but also what people have to understand about all of these issues is that they don't necessarily have to be issues at all if we change the way of our thinking in society what I'm trying to get at here is that addictions in my eyes should be viewed in Two different ways the one way where yes people are very addicted to the drug or to gambling and they need to do it everyday otherwise they feel alone or sad, but the most important one which I think we're missing in this society at the moment is that we need to look at addiction in a way which people who do these drugs or they do gamble are not actually addicted but they just enjoy doing it and if you was to say to someone who is 'addicted' right lets go for a day out somewhere, without even thinking about it they will forget about the addiction and just fully focus on having fun because all they ever wanted to do was just to have fun in the first place so if you show these people that you can have fun without gambling or drugs then they will thank you for it, because instead of going back to the addiction they actually say to themselves I really don't need this I was just looking for something to do to mark me have fun or to pass the time.
To conclude my point I would just like to say that there are many things society needs to change in general for the better and I hope that this article opened your eyes a little bit and who knows you may even know someone who is addicted to a certain drug or to gambling and just try what I've said take them for a day out away from gambling or drugs maybe to Southend or another seaside town and just go sit on the beach chill and talk because they really just need someone to express themselves to and if you help them they will not only be a friend for life but they will thank you everyday for showing them a different way of life without their addiction.
Thank You