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Gamblers Drink More When Winning
A group of studies shows that individuals addicted to gambling tend to
consume more alcohol when they're winning, as well as taking greater risks
and playing longer.
The research further found that people have a better chance of recovering
from their gambling addiction when they address their alcoholism.
"Therapy needs to focus on finding ways to break these overlearned or
'unconscious' associations between winning and drinking," said Sherry
Stewart, an associate professor at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia.
In...
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Research Yields New Insights into Molecular Control of Addiction
In research employing fruit flies, scientists at the University of Arizona
have provided new insights into how molecules may control addiction,
memory formation, and brain plasticity. Their research has provided the
first evidence that the molecule AP1, which helps to regulate changes in
the manufacture of certain proteins in brain cells, also is required for
long-term changes in the function of synapses (the connections between
brain cells).The study, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), is published in the April 25, 2002 issue of "Nature". NIDA Acting...»»
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In response to the research, casino executives said they train employees to stop serving alcohol to drunk patrons and on when to remove gambling privileges. "The bottom line is that anyone who appears to be past their limit, we
won't let them gamble. We want a fair game. We're not trying to make money
off people being intoxicated," said Rob Stillwell, a spokesman for Boyd
Gaming Corp., which runs 12 casinos in five states.
Although the results of Stewart's study apply only to pathological
gamblers, four other studies funded by gambling-addiction recovery
associations were found to apply to other gamblers, too.
One study involved 22 problem gamblers and 22 non-problem gamblers in a
simulated casino. Half of the participants in each group were given
moderate doses of alcohol while they gambled for 30 minutes.
The researchers found that the drinking group played longer and doubled
their bets more frequently.
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