As a young student, I was trained by Professor Mark Dickerson, a psychologist with expertise in gambling addiction. Ever since, I have always had an interest in public health, law and addiction. It has been fascinating to catch up with Quentin Beresford's new book from NewSouth, Hooked: Inside the Murky World of Australia's Gambling Industry.
https://newsouthbooks.com.au/books/hooked/
Amongst other things, the book provides a comparative analysis about legal and regulatory responses to addictive products: 'Over the years, Australian governments have introduced some of the strictest anti-smoking measures anywhere in the world. There is a total ban on any messaging that aims to persuade people to smoke. This is complemented by plain packaging laws, the banning of logos and branding on packets of cigarettes, and the introduction of graphic health warnings. By a large margin, community opinion favoured a similar approach to gambling advertising and promotion.' The book explores the failures of Australian Governments to adequately respond to the public health threats of gambling.
