Zona de Azar Brazil – Brazilian Army Launches Booklet to Combat Sports Betting Addiction

Brazil.- July 30, 2024 www.zonadeazar.com  The Brazilian Army has released a booklet aimed at soldiers with the aim of combating sports betting addiction. The booklet, entitled “Preventing Betting Addiction”, aims to prevent soldiers and military officers from getting into debt and developing psychological problems resulting from sports betting addiction.

The booklet is available on the website of the Army Personnel Assistance Directorate and has been the subject of lectures within the Army, which has had officers, psychologists and social workers from more than 600 military organizations in the country. The person who raised the topic was General Alcides Valeriano de Faria Júnior, head of the Army Social Communication Center (CCOMSEx), in a class for journalists last June and according to the general, betting has become a concern for the institution.

• “Prevention, across all the notebooks [there are several social assistance actions in the program, including for other types of debtors], aims to ensure that the military is ready to fulfill their mission,” commented Captain Souza Dias, from the Personnel Assistance Directorate, to Folha de São Paulo.

The general told Folha de São Paulo that there is concern that sports betting addiction could lead to extreme situations such as increased suicide rates and debt-related crimes, such as thefts in military barracks. Although there is no statistical data on the behavior in the institution, the topic has been widely discussed, in addition to the emphasis on remembering that addiction can cause physical and mental problems, including anxiety and depression.

The “living manual”, as it is called, was first published on July 17, 2023, and has this name because it is updated according to new studies and information about the sports betting market. Its last update was last May, highlighting the importance of early identification of risk factors and the need to seek help. One of the points in the manual highlights that, “the consequences of gambling addiction occur in the same way as they do with other mental health problems”, says the document. “The most appropriate path is to obtain early treatment.”

Navy and Air Force have also addressed the issue

The topic of sports betting has proven to be important throughout the Armed Forces. The FAB, the Brazilian Air Force, launched the Financial Education Program (PEF), which includes a schedule related to gambling expenses. On the other hand, the Navy, through the Social Assistance Directorate (DASM), has taken initiatives to prevent and raise awareness about gambling, such as socio-educational lectures and discussion groups.

• “The best thing to do is to seek help quickly,” said psychiatrist Rodrigo Machado, from the Institute of Psychiatry at USP’s Hospital das Clínicas.

Editó: @_fonta www.zonadeazar.com