Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2006 • Alcohol and drug receives funds to be used for substance abuse and gambling addiction

Publisher’s note: This story originally appeared in the Tuesday, Aug. 29 edition of the Lassen County Times.

Lassen County Alcohol and Drug department received funds from the local Indian gaming benefit fund.

Alcohol and Drug and Director Mike Beard appeared before the Lassen County Board of Supervisors to inform the board and the county of how the funds are going to be used.

Beard said the funds will be used for individuals struggling with substance abuse and gambling addictions especially in cases of relapse.

The department will be receiving $15,000 this year and Beard said a portion of it will be used to train counselors in gambling addiction.

He included statistics, which research said 50 percent of people who have gambling problems as their primary problem also have substance abuse problems.

In addition, 25 to 35 percent who have substance abuse as their primary problem also have gambling problems.

Based on his calculations Beard said, in fiscal year 2003-2004, Alcohol and Drug served 81 people who concurrently had substance abuse problems and gambling problems.

Among those 81 individuals, Beard said there was a high rate of relapse.

“Anytime you have a client who’s faced with multiple barriers, that’s faced with multiple problems it’s more difficult to help them establish and maintain ongoing sobriety,” he said.

About three years ago, Beard said the health agency named the State Department of Alcohol and Drug the lead agency for problem gambling.

“However, in doing so they only gave them $3 million and that just about accounts for their setting up the office within their larger organization and they have given no funding to the counties to provide this service. “

He said most of Alcohol and Drug’s money is categorical and doesn’t have funds to spend on problem gambling.

During an Alcohol and Drug meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 15, Beard said, “We are faced with multiple problems and gaming and alcohol substance being two of them, but you don’t address both simultaneously, said Beard.  “The potential for relapse on one side or the other and then both is huge.”

“Having this money means we’ll be able to get some good training and we’ll be able to give that additional dimension of help to those that need it,” Beard said.

The Alcohol and Drug Advisory board was given an opportunity to weigh in on the information.

Board member and recovering addict Robert Joseph said when he was high he would be at the casino.

“They go together. That’s just how it works,” he said.

Joseph said, “I figure if you can get into recovery and start doing the program, get clean and sober, ask them to take away that other part, too. So it’s like killing two birds with one stone.”

Kathy Oberst said she works with the girls in jail who don’t miss their families or drug of addiction as much as they miss gambling.

“They can’t wait to get out so they can get back to the casino,” Oberst said.

Board member Terry Enger said Diamond Mountain Casino is a business, but they want people to go in have a couple of beers and when they lose their $40 they go home.

“But the person who doesn’t have a good paying job sees the casino as an opportunity to become a millionaire,” Enger said.

The person is in tune to what they are doing until about the fourth beer, he said.

By the eighth beer, Enger said a person is thinking, “I’ve got to get all my money back,” and it spins out of control and they wake up the next morning broke and with a hang over and asking, “What happened?”

Discussion was also held regarding raising community awareness about gambling and alcohol and drug abuse, including at the Indian Rancheria.

Joseph said it is a problem and it is the innocent ones being hurt.