Senate Bill S4885

                                BILL NUMBER:S4885A

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the mental hygiene law and the education law,
in relation to requiring the
office of alcoholism and substance abuse services
to establish
a curriculum in
problem gambling which may be provided in grades four through twelve

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Requires the Office of Alcoholism and
Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) to develop an adolescent problem
gambling curriculum to be available for schools for grades 4-12.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends section 19.07 of the mental hygiene law by adding a
new subdivision (i) to require the OASAS in consultation with the
education department to establish a curriculum for a course of
instruction in adolescent problem gambling, which may, at the option
of any school, be provided in grades 4-12. Such course should include
materials to educate students on the dangers and consequences of
problem gambling, and shall be available on the interact website of
OASAS.

              

Section 2 amends section 305 of education law to add new subdivision
43 to require the department to post on their website the curriculum

Section 3 makes the act take effect immediately and section one shall
take effect on September 1, 2013.

JUSTIFICATION:
A recent study by the New York Council on Problem Gambling highlighted
the need for gambling education in New York State: While
participation in all forms of gambling is illegal for individuals
under the age of 18 in New York State, 86% of the New York adolescent
respondents said that they can bet on one or more types of gambling
at some time, 75% had gambled in the past year and 15% had bet on one
or more types of gambling on a weekly basis.

Despite restrictions on underage gambling in New York State, nearly
one-third of the adolescent respondents have been able to purchase
lottery tickets, 9% have been able to wager at horse or dog races, 6%
have been able to participate in Quick Draw and 5% have been able to
gamble at a casino. Despite their substantially lower income, adoles-
cents in New York report spending approximately one-third as much, on
average, as adults report spending on all types of gambling.

There is concern that lottery gambling may be an experience that
encourages young people to engage in other, less broadly sanctioned
types of gambling as well as in other risk-taking behaviors, such as
drug use. A significant increase in lottery play at a young age was
identified among New York adolescents.


While 20% of 13-year-olds in the sample have purchased lottery
products in the past year, 36% of 17-year-olds have done so. The
increase in lottery play is correlated with increases in other types
of gambling and in the use of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana.

In New York, 2.4% 1.09%) of the total sample of adolescent respondents
were classified as problem gamblers, the most serious classification
of gambling-related difficulties among youth. Another 14.0% (-2.05%)
of the total sample of adolescent respondents were classified as
gamblers at risk for developing gambling problems. Based on the
prevalence rates, it is estimated that there are between 15,400 and
41,000 adolescents in New York who have experienced severe problems
with their gambling and between 135,000 and 193,000 whose gambling
involvement has caused them difficulties in the past or, more likely,
places them at risk for developing gambling-related difficulties in
the future.

Problem gamblers are more likely than other adolescents who gamble to
have problems with family members or friends due to gambling and to
have had trouble at school or work due to their gambling. Problem
gamblers are more likely than at-risk or non-problem gamblers to have
shoplifted, sold drugs and engaged in other illegal activities to get
money to gamble or to pay gambling debts.

Gambling involvement among adolescents in New York is correlated with
alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use, weekly gamblers are more likely
than less frequent gamblers to have ever tried alcohol, tobacco and
marijuana and to have gotten into trouble in the past year because of
their alcohol or drug use.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2003:    A.11639 - Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Committee
2009-10: A.4339  - Referred to Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Committee

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Not applicable.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take on September 1, 2013.