Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Apr 10/00) - The first steps have been taken against the problem of compulsive gambling in the Kivalliq Region.

The Kataujaq Society in Rankin completed a series of workshops earlier this month addressing the situation.

Evelyn Thordarson, the executive director of the Kataujaq Society Safe Shelter, says the material covered during the workshops exceeded her expectations.

"We had a lot more on family violence and anger management and how they are related to gambling addictions," says Thordarson.

The workshops were held at the Rankin Inlet Friendship Centre and helped train front-line workers to treat compulsive gamblers.

"Until now, people didn't know who to turn to with answers to help them beat their habit and now there's a wide range of people in Rankin and Baker Lake who can help.

"Gambling is reaching the point in the Kivalliq where if something isn't done to address the situation, it's going to get totally out of control on us.

"There are children going without food because of gambling and more and more younger people are gambling."

Thordarson says the next step is to devise a prevention plan to keep the problem from growing.

"The whole point of this workshop was to raise awareness of what gambling is all about and lobby together as a group to have gambling recognized as an addiction.

"Gambling is not a recognized addiction to get help through any community addictions programs."

Maggie Amarualik is a front-line worker who participated in the workshops.

She says this was the best training course she has attended in helping prepare her for dealing with compulsive gamblers.

"I used to get frustrated trying to help, but there's never been a workshop like this before that answered all my questions about providing that help," says Amarualik.

"I'm hoping what we've learned will give us a way to make people understand that gambling is a addiction.

"Gambling is every bit as much of an addiction as alcohol and drugs."