It doesn’t matter if they choose to start, it matters that they weren’t able to stop, gambling and alcohol have both been extremely normalized in our society and are destroying lives. We shouldn’t have ads shoved down our throats for industries that profit off of destroying people’s lives for a quick buck. Shit aint right. I’m not saying make the industries illegal, just make the ads illegal. Saying drink responsibly at the end of an alcohol ad isn’t making anyone less of an alcoholic. And the tiny ass barely readable gambling addiction hotline isn’t gonna help anyone with a gambling addiction from getting hooked on sports Gambling which is one click away on the app store.
It matters from a cause-and-effect standpoint, but you’re callously and self-righteously blaming their whole situation on it. That you stop trying to understand the situation at that point reveals that you’re using it as an excuse to blame peoples’ suffering exclusively on their personal choices to feel better about yourself. That completely ignores any circumstances, predatory draws, nonstandard brain chemistry, or other factors outside of their control and assume they had perfect, complete knowledge of the situation and consequences at the time – which is honestly silly.
Hmmm then maybe we should make ads glamorizing gambling illegal. I really dont understand what you are trying to say with your comments here…