Youth and Gambling
Written by: Mir Aqa Etibar
Gambling is defined as: to bet on an uncertain outcome, as of a contest. To take a risk in the hope of gaining an advantage or a benefit. Gambling is a bad habit, which unfortunately has become popular these days as an intellectual sport among the youth and the elderly in Afghanistan. AEPO’s writer/producer has just discussed gambling among youth.
Rustam Khan, a resident of Paghaman district, Kabul province says: “one of our family members was addicted to gambling from childhood. We had a house in Kabul city, 8 cars, and two plots and he lost all in gambling. We faced many economic problems and even we did not have anything to eat.”
Omeedullah says: “one of my friends lost her daughter in gambling and the villagers cut relations with him.”
Omid Afghan, a Professor of sociology at Ustad Rabbani Education University, Kabul city says: “gambling is harmful to psychological health. People who live with this addiction may experience depression, distress, and other anxiety-related problems. The horrific consequences and losses of gambling for youth and others in the community are very clear, causing dissension and hostility, anger and hatred, quarrel and murder, moral degradation, divorce, anxiety, suicide, and others, and youths who lose Gambling, become professional thieves.”
What do people think about the causes of adults gambling?
Rustam Khan says: “when his relative was teenager, he got interested in gambling and when he became young, he got addicted to gambling.”
A 21 years old boy says: “I was always watching others playing cards and I learned to gamble from them in a short time.”
How could parents, villagers, and clergymen prevent youth from gambling?
A teacher, Cobra says: “I am busy have a day in the school. I say to my husband who is a shopkeeper to pay attention to my children. My husband has told to his children to come directly to his shop after school and do their homework in the shop. He always controls their friends.”
Omidullah, a ninth-grade student says: “some of my friends are addicted to gambling and they always invite me to take part in gambling with them but I deny and say that earning money is very hard but losing is easy.”