CLARION CO., Pa. (EYT) – Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission is participating in the 2024 Gift Responsibly Campaign, joining more than 80 other lotteries and community organizations from across the U.S., Canada, and around the world.

The campaign is organized by the National Council on Problem Gambling and the International Center for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University. The Gift Responsibly Campaign is also endorsed by the World Lottery Association and the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries. The campaign aims to raise awareness regarding the risks of underage lottery use. Lottery products are appropriate for gifting only to adults, from adults.

Gambling is defined as risking something of value on an unknown outcome that depends on chance or skill. Research shows that the earlier a person’s participation or exposure to gambling in childhood, the more likely they are to develop gambling problems later in life. Even though gambling activities are legally restricted to adults, there is clear evidence that underage youth actively participate in gambling. Despite gambling being promoted as a harmless form of entertainment, it operates on the same reward pathways and neurotransmitters as substance abuse. Youth gambling is associated with alcohol and drug use, truancy, risk-taking behaviors, and low grades in school.

More and more youth are exposed to the availability and accessibility of many forms of gambling at even younger ages and are tempted by the pressures to participate. According to the National Council on Problem Gambling approximately 60 percent of high-school-aged adolescents in the United States report having gambled for money during the past year. According to the 2023 Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) data, overall, 23.8% of Clarion County students in grades 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th have engaged in gambling for money or anything of value in their lifetime, which is higher than the state average of 21.7%. From these grade levels in Clarion County, students reported the different forms of gambling used were 11.4% lottery (including scratch cards, numbers, etc.), 7.1% sporting events, sports pools, or fantasy sports, 9.4% games such as poker, card games, dice, pool, or darts, 6.8% video games or online gaming, and 9.9% bet/gambled in some other way.

For most people gambling is simply entertainment, but it is entertainment that comes with a degree of risk. When a lottery ticket is given as a gift by a trusted parent or other family member, a child is likely to interpret the gift as saying, “This is a safe thing for you to do.”

Lottery tickets aren’t child’s play.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call or text the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700 or visit www.ncpg.org/chat for confidential help.

For more information about problem gambling and how to increase awareness and action on problem gambling, go to www.ncpgambling.org/pgamor and visit the Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission Facebook page for more resources.

About Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug & Alcohol Commission: The mission of the Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug & Alcohol Commission is to address the abuse and destructive effects of alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and other drugs through prevention, intervention, treatment, and case management.