How Gambling, Chemical Dependency, and Racial Discrimination Affect Essay

How Gambling, Chemical Dependency, and Racial Discrimination Affect our Urban Community - Essay Example Associated to the gambling menace have been the overindulgence in alcohol and other chemical substance whose effects are wholesomely detrimental not only to the individuals in addiction but also to the state at large (ONDCP, n.d., 1-4). Dependence on chemical influence has been in the rise with efforts to curb the menace in the city raising costs of living. Addiction to chemical and substance abuse in Cleveland have been pointed to raise levels of unemployment and in effect poor standards of living. The resources committed to management of these vices by the authorities have detrimental effects to the economy and the outcome is retarded growth to the economy and failure to offer basic services to the citizens. On the other hand, racial prejudice in Cleveland, Ohio has long history with adverse effects recorded. For instance, the issue of racial discrimination fueled the Cleveland Hough uprising of 1966. In like manner to the vices of gambling as well as the overindulgence in chemical substance, the racial discrimination has been associated with great adverse effects to the healthy living of the urban dwellers in Cleveland and the entire Ohio. Discussion In view of the existence of addiction into gambling, chemical substance use as well as the prejudice in racial orientation within Cleveland, this paper seeks to evaluate the effects resultant to the communities living in the urban areas. In particular, this paper will analyze the social, economic as well as cultural impacts that the three vices have on the communities living within the urban areas in Ohio especially in Cleveland. A significant population of the adults in Ohio suffers gambling addiction and the estimate is projected to keep rising every year with increase in Casinos. The gambling disorders are projected to keep rising in years to come with the probability of many adults developing these disorders at one point in their lives. The social economic effects of the conditions developed in gambling diso rders include high levels of debts among others. These are seen to increase the likelihood of these persons to file bankruptcy protection through research support to link gambling and the personal bankruptcy is yet to be revealed. Study have shown that persons with chronic gambling problems suffer high unemployment rates with research revealing that the addiction counts for 8% of the total unemployment problems for these persons. In matters of crime and incarceration within the urban community, the people with the gambling complications have higher likelihood to have been victims at least once in their lives. People with the gambling disorders have higher chances of exhibiting physical ailments, high divorce rates, high suicidal rates, familial abuse as well as higher divorce rates as compared to the rest of the urban dwellers. However, this has not had any empirical evidence as per se. besides, the gambling problem cost the society highly in matters of caring for the economically u nproductive (dependent) working populations as addicts to gambling. Many resources are also directed towards treatment and counseling such persons which in essence affects development, which would otherwise be realized through such resources. Koo and friends in a report show that Ohio in general has not committed enough resources to the management of the gambling prob