Arizona is spending $350,000 to build and run a peer support program for people with gambling problems.
Gambling has been legal in Arizona since the early 2000s, and this is the fifth year of sports betting, which lets people use their phone to gamble.
“We do see numbers increasing as far as folks seeking treatment, seeking helpline support and other services,” said Elise Mikkelsen, director of the state’s Division of Problem Gambling.
The state Gaming Department has contracted with a firm called Dezerve Counseling to build a program offering help from those who’ve lived the same experience.
“When someone talks to a peer who has been there, shame and isolation is reduced. People are more likely to seek help when they feel understood and not judged,” Mikkelsen said.
Financial advice will be included with the program.
“Maybe by the end of this fiscal year, towards the summer, they will have programming in place and resources available for those in need here in Arizona,” Mikkelsen said.
-
A project funded by NASA could help bring emergency medical care to rural Arizona. ASU researchers are developing augmented reality glasses that can help walk users through some procedures in real time — without needing to be online. -
Arizona State Rep. Nick Kupper recently sponsored a bill to make ivermectin available over the counter. Jessica Boehm has been reporting on this for Axios, and she joined The Show to talk more. -
The National Institutes of Health says hospitalizations for marijuana in Arizona rose about 20% over five years as the state legalized recreational use. Now researchers in Colorado want to know if a cannabis compound can treat addiction. -
As trans rights have roiled national politics, the question of how men should present themselves has been a subject of intense debate. And in the midst of all that, we’ve noticed this term popping up a lot: brotox. -
Gabriela Ramírez is an investigative reporter who reported the story for the Spanish-language news outlet Conecta Arizona with a grant funded by the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism National Fellowship.
