GPs are prescribing £10,000-a-year drugs to wean punters off betting in a bid to tackle Britain's gambling epidemic

GPs are prescribing £10,000-a-year drugs to wean punters off betting in a bid to tackle Britain's gambling epidemic
http://dollars-vedioonline.blogspot.com/2016/02/gps-are-prescribing-10000-year-drugs-to.html

Naltrexone, costing £800 monthly per patient, usually given to drug addicts
Its use is now extended to compulsive gamblers unable to fight 'cravings'
First clinic to give out drug was National Problem Gambling Clinic, London
Figures show there are now more than 500,000 problem gamblers in Britain


GPs are prescribing the worst gambling addicts £10,000-a-year drugs in an attempt to tackle Britain's betting epidemic.
The medication naltrexone is usually given to those with severe drug and alcohol problems, at a monthly cost of £800 per patient.
But it was revealed today that it is now being used to help compulsive gamblers unable fight their 'cravings' - at a cost of thousands of pounds to the NHS.

GPs are prescribing the worst gambling addicts £10,000-a-year drugs in a bid to tackle Britain's betting epidemic
According to The Times, the first clinic to prescribe the drug was the National Problem Gambling Clinic in London, which handed the medication to a patient two months ago.
Last year, GPs referred almost 1,000 problem gamblers to the clinic.
Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones, a researcher from the clinic, said: 'The medication is used to stop the most compulsive gamblers who are resistant to treatment. It helps stop craving.'


Recent figures show there are now more than half a million problem gamblers in Britain, indicating the impact of the expanding industry.
Meanwhile, calls to GamCare, the country's leading helpline which offers counselling to addicts, rose by one third last year.

According to the charity, half of the 40,000 people who called the helpline were suffering either financial difficulty or relationship breakdown as a result of gambling.
The worrying statistics have led campaigners to accuse ministers of allowing the gambling industry to spiral out of control, despite links to mental health problems, family breakdown and crime.
Their main argument centres around fixed-odds betting terminals, dubbed the 'crack cocaine' of gambling, which cause untold misery by allowing users to stake £100 a time on games including roulette and poker.
In the past five years, the number of people addicted to FOBTs has jumped more than 50 per cent.
FOBTs were introduced on to Britain’s high streets a decade ago after tax reforms by then Chancellor Gordon Brown left a loophole in the law.
The machines were initially declared illegal by the Labour Government on the basis that roulette bets may only be made in a casino.
However it backed down after bookmakers argued that since the ‘spin of the wheel’ was made offshore in tax havens such as Gibraltar, such machines should be allowed.
Under new controls introduced last April, players now have to seek permission from staff to stake more than £50.

Figures show there are now more than half a million problem gamblers in Britain, while calls to the country's leading helpline GamCare, which offers counselling to addicts, rose by a third last year (posed by model)
But figures obtained last month by the Fairer Gambling campaign group reveal that Ladbrokes alone now makes more than £1,000 per week per machine – up 9 per cent in just one year.
Ladbrokes said its growth came mainly from £2 stakes and it took responsible gambling very seriously. But Adrian Parkinson from Fairer Gambling said the rise in profits showed that self-regulation had failed.
Paddy Power’s weekly FOTB profits went up 4 per cent from £1,319 in the first six months of 2014 to £1,373 in the first six months of 2015.
And at Coral, profits went from £957 to £986 between the first nine months of 2014 and 2015 – up 3 per cent.
Last year, David Cameron’s former speechwriter, Claire Foges, urged him to clamp down on the ‘fiendishly seductive’ machines in an article for the Mail.

Fixed-odds betting terminals (pictured) cause untold misery by allowing users to stake £100 a time on games including roulette and poker
Miss Foges, the Prime Minister’s former speechwriter, wrote that FOBTs were ‘sirens on the rocks to the weak-willed’.
In 2011, MPs previously launched a contentious year-long investigation into the betting trade.
In that report, MPs called on the Government to relax rules restricting gambling venues and machines.
HOW NALTREXONE DRUG WORKS
In order to work, addictive drugs stimulate brain receptors and produce a euphoric feeling.
Naltrexone is attracted to the same receptors. Once it has latched on to them, the drugs have no effect and negate the 'high' feeling that makes users want to take them.
The medicine is not a cure for addiction but is used as part of programme for addicts that may include counseling, support group meetings and other treatment.
The culture, media and sport select committee said councils should be able to allow more gambling machines in betting shops and casinos. The MPs also said the Gambling Commission should charge operators lower fees.
But Tory MP Philip Davies, member of the culture, media and sport select committee, was later criticised for receiving more than £10,000 in benefits from companies with links to the gambling industry which he did not declare.
When campaigners said changing the rules would lead to problem gambling, Mr Davies called the viewpoint nonsensical in the Commons.
The Association of British Bookmakers said: 'The industry works closely with government and regulators on responsible gambling initiatives.'
A spokesman for the culture and media department said: 'We introduced strong gambling controls last Apirl. This includes putting an end to unsupervised stakes about £50 on FOBTs and giving more power to local authorities to stop new betting shops opening up in the area.'

Unemployment in the UK stays at ten-year low as earnings edge up by 1.9%

Unemployment in the UK stays at ten-year low but wage rises slow down to 1.9%
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The number of jobless fell by 60,000 in last three months of 2015, to 1.69m
Three in four people are in work - an all-time high of 31.4 million
Number of people claiming unemployment benefit fell to 760,000
Average earnings down 0.2 per cent on previous month


The unemployment rate in the UK remains at its lowest level in a decade last year, official figures revealed today.
The number of jobless fell by 60,000 to 1.69million in the last three months of 2015 - keeping the unemployment rate at 5.1 per cent.
Three in four people in the UK are in work, Office for National Statistics figures from the last three months of 2015 show.

The 74.1 per cent employment rate is an all-time high since records began in 1971, with 31.4million people in work - a rise of more than half a million in a year.
But the figures showed another slow growth in wages - average earnings increased by 1.9 per cent in the year to December - 0.2 per cent down on the previous month.


ONS statistician Nick Palmer said the 'subdued' growth in earnings was disappointing.
'While the employment rate continues to hit new highs and there are more job vacancies than ever previously recorded, earnings growth remains subdued and markedly below the recent peak of mid-2015,' he said.
Ministers were hoping to see the unemployment rate fall below 5.1 per cent and despite staying at its lowest level since 2006, today's figures will be seen as a touch disappointing.
The number of people claiming unemployment benefit fell by nearly 15,000 to an overall total of 760,200.
Today's figures show the number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits is at its lowest level since 1975.
The employment rate of people aged 50 to 64 is also at a new record high of 70.1 per cent, although the figures do not distinguish between part-time and full-time work.
The region in the UK with the lowest rate of unemployment is the South West, where 3.7 per cent of the population are jobless.
The North East remains the region with the highest unemployment rate. The jobless total fell by just 2,000 in the last quarter of last year and 8.1 per cent of the North East are without a job.
In Scotland unemployment stands at 5.8 per cent - the same rate as Northern Ireland, which recorded no change in the total number of unemployed on the previous quarter.
In Wales, the number of jobless fell by 12,000 in three months to 5.3 per cent.
Wales First Minister Carwyn Jones said the figures showed Wales was 'continuing to outperform the UK as a whole'.
'The increase in employment, decrease in unemployment and fall in economic inactivity in Wales over the last 12 months have all been at rates of more than double those of the UK as a whole.
'Claimant count in Wales has also fallen faster than across the UK,' he said.
Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said: 'February is another record-breaking month with the employment rate now at the highest it has ever been and wages continuing to grow.
'At a time when we are seeing the number of workless households at its lowest ever, this is further proof that our economic and welfare reforms are delivering more security and providing opportunities that give families the best chance in life.'

Psychiatrist and her marine engineer husband charged with enslaving a 28-year-old woman described by neighbours as an au pair

Psychiatrist and her marine engineer husband charged with enslaving a 28-year-old woman described by neighbours as an au pair
Minu and Sanjeev Chopra, both 47, charged with turning woman into slave
Neighbours described woman as 28-year-old au pair who lived with couple
Mrs Chopra works as a psychiatrist and her husband as a marine engineer
Couple face maximum sentence of 14 years if convicted under Slavery Act
http://dollars-vedioonline.blogspot.com/2016/02/psychiatrist-and-her-marine-engineer.html


A psychiatrist and her marine engineer husband have been accused of bringing a 28-year-old 'au pair' to Britain and turning her into a slave.
Minu and Sanjeev Chopra, both 47, have been charged with arranging for the woman to come to the UK with the intention of exploiting her and with holding her in slavery or servitude.
The alleged offences relate to two periods spanning five years.

Neighbours of the couple, who have an eight-year-old son, said the alleged victim lived with the family as an au pair, according to The Times.
Those who live nearby Mr and Mrs Chopra in the upmarket Bamford area of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, described the couple as 'decent'.
One neighbour, who did not want to be named, told The Times: 'There must have been some mistake over the paperwork or something like that because I see her around a lot.


'She never seemed in distress and she's been with them for two years in that house. I think she was with them in their previous house as well.
'I have spoken to her many times and she has never made any complaint to me. She never seemed upset or anything like that.'
Police said the alleged victim was removed from Mr and Mrs Chopra's home and is being cared for by partner agencies.
Dr Chopra, who was said by a neighbour to work as a psychiatrist at the Royal Bolton Hospital, appeared at Manchester Magistrates' Court on Saturday and was remanded in custody.
Her husband was arrested on Saturday and remanded into custody before appearing at Bury and Rochdale Magistrates' Court yesterday.

He describes himself as a chief engineer for Herald Marine services - a company which has its headquarters in Mumbai, India.
Greater Manchester Police said officers attended an address in Bamford on Thursday and arrested a 47-year-old woman on suspicion of slavery, servitude and forced labour offences under the Slavery Act 2015.
She and her husband, of Cranbourne Road, Rochdale, were later charged with holding a person in slavery or servitude between July 31 2015 and February 11 2016.
The couple were also charged with intentionally arranging or facilitating entry into the UK of a person with a view to their exploitation, and knowingly holding another person in slavery or servitude between January 1 2011 and July 31 2015.
The maximum sentence for offences under the Slavery Act 2015 is 14 years in prison.
The couple are expected to appear together at Manchester Minshull St Crown Court on March 11.

Mother who did not know how to drive accidentally ran over and killed her three-year-old son the first time she ever got behind wheel of family car

Mother who did not know how to drive accidentally ran over and killed her three-year-old son the first time she ever got behind wheel of family car
http://dollars-vedioonline.blogspot.com/2016/02/mother-who-did-not-know-how-to-drive.html

Liam Turner was playing with his sister at home when he was run over
Mother Lindsey described how her foot 'slipped' and car 'jolted' over son
His father flagged down a passing ambulance but Liam died in hospital
Coroner Nicholas Holroyd recorded a conclusion of accidental death

A mother accidentally killed her three-year-old son while learning to drive the family car for the first time, an inquest heard today.
Mother-of-two Lyndsay Turner, 34, described how her 'foot slipped' and her Citroen C4 'jolted forward' and ran over her much-loved little boy Liam.
Mrs Turner was pulling into a parking area near their home in Adland Road, Watton, Norfolk, when she hit her son as he played nearby.
The boy's father Stephen, 37, moved the toddler from underneath the vehicle and drove him towards the hospital before flagging down an ambulance, the court was told.
Liam was airlifted to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital but could not be saved.
An inquest into the incident on June 7 last year was held at Norwich Coroner's Court today.
The inquest heard Liam was playing outside with his older sister on a hot summer's day when he died.
In a statement, Mrs Turner said she had asked her husband to teach her to drive and decided to move the car a short way to its parking space.
It was the first time she had ever driven the car. She did not have a provisional driving licence and was not insured.
'My foot slipped and it jolted suddenly forward,' she told police.
Mr Turner had supervised her moving the car from outside the vehicle.
Neighbour Amy Jones saw Mrs Turner pulling into the space in a 'stuttering' manner and heard Mr Turner shouting 'stop' followed by a loud crunch.


'Liam was bleeding really badly and I told Stephen to put him in the car and take him to hospital,' she added.

Pc Forbes Scott told the court Mrs Turner was on a public road and should not have been driving but the Crown Prosecution Service had decided it was not in the public interest to bring charges.
'There are no plans to bring any criminal proceedings in this case,' he added. He said there were no faults with the car.
The inquest heard Liam suffered a serious head injury and irreversible brain damage and died at the hospital's accident and emergency department at 8.16pm that day.
Deputy Coroner Nicholas Holroyd recorded a conclusion of accidental death.
He told the couple: 'This was an appalling tragedy and you both have my profound sympathy for this loss.
'There are very few parents who when looking back haven't said to themselves "that was a near thing", tragically this ended as disastrously as it did.'
Mr and Mrs Turner chose not to comment after the hearing.
In a statement issued shortly after his death, the couple said: 'We are devastated by the loss of our darling little man.
'Liam was a happy, content little boy who was always smiling and laughing.
'He had a wonderful sense of humour and brought joy to the lives of everyone who knew him. He was deeply loved.
'Life will not be the same without him.'

11 people are sentenced to 300 lashes and prison in Saudi Arabia for having a party

Six women and five men are sentenced to 300 lashes and a year in prison in Saudi Arabia after neighbours reported them for having a party at a beachside villa

Group charged with obscenity after police found drink and indecent images
Officers from country's vice squad called after complaint from neighbours
Women are not allowed to mingle with men in Saudi Arabia unless related


Six women and five men have been jailed and sentenced to 300 lashes after holding a drunken beach party in Saudi Arabia.
The group were charged with 'obscenity' after police found alcohol and indecent pictures during a raid on a villa in the city of Jedda.
Some were drunk and resisted arrest after officers from the vice squad were called to the property following complaints from neighbours.
Under Saudi law, women are not allowed to mingle with men unless they are related.

The group were initially given jail sentences ranging from eight days to a year and 150 lashes, it was reported by Breitbart.
But their prison terms were increased and their flogging sentence raised to 300 lashes after a failed appeal.


Saudi Arabia has some of the strictest Islamic laws in the world.
Drinking is banned and women must cover themselves in public and not mix with the opposite sex.

Last week, the country's morality police reportedly barred women from a Starbucks and told to send 'their driver' to get a coffee for them instead after a 'gender barrier' wall had collapsed.
Signs in Arabic and English were put up on doors to the coffee shop telling women not to enter.
The posters read: 'Please no entry for ladies, only send your drivers to order. Thank you.'
Yesterday it was also reported that a man had been arrested by Saudi Arabia's morality police for wearing a cartoon costume of a woman showing skin.
British grandfather Karl Andree, 74, was also sentenced to 378 lashes for brewing homemade wine.

But he was finally spared after spending more than a year in jail following a public appeal by his family who feared the punishment would kill him.
The Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, as it is officially known, is responsible for ensuring Islamic laws like those are not broken in public.
But it has repeatedly been accused of human rights violations.
In 2002, the committee refused to allow female students out of a burning school in the holy city of Mecca because they were not wearing correct head cover.
The decision is thought to have contributed to the high death toll of 15.

Flooding Ends Year Early at Louisiana School

Flooding Ends Year Early at Louisiana School

The threat of flooding is prompting at least one Louisiana school district to end the school year early and cancel the last week of classes. That's despite the Mississippi River cresting a bit lower than expected in the city of Vicksburg. (May 20)

Argentine Thieves Tunnel Into Bank Over New Year 4/1/2011

Argentine Thieves Tunnel Into Bank Over New Year


Thieves dug a 100-foot-long ventilated and lit tunnel from a neighboring building into an Argentine bank and emptied the contents of up to 140 safety deposit boxes, officials said Monday. (Jan. 4)

Raw Video: London Rings in the New Year

Raw Video: London Rings in the New Year


As millions gathered worldwide to ring in the New Year, tens of thousands of Londoners gathered on the banks of the River Thames near the London Eye Ferris wheel for the city's fireworks display. (Dec. 31)

Raw Video: Russia Rings in the New Year

Raw Video: Russia Rings in the New Year


Hundreds of Muscovites watched in Red Square as a grand fireworks display lit up the sky over St Basil's cathedral to mark the arrival of 2011. The revellers enjoyed the festivities in a snowstorm with temperatures well below freezing. (Dec. 31)

Raw Video: Australia Sees in New Year

Raw Video: Australia Sees in New Year

Sydney Harbour was a blaze of colour as Australia's biggest city rang in the New Year with a spectacular fireworks display. (Jan. 1)