Letters To The Editor Week Of 1/17/2022

Drugs and money
To the editor: Drugs on the street used to be big money makers. The new big money producers are Covid 19 vaccines and the test kits.
Think about it. Every American is told to get the shot, get the test, get the second shot, and get the mutation shot.
Tally all these products up and how much money is there to be made? Who knows what’s down the road? Why stop now?
They have OK’d the farming of marijuana in Michigan. So what about all the people who are in jail because of this “bad, bad” product? Should these folks be released? Do the feds still call having weed a bad thing now or is it OK? What a joke.
The new program of making big money has been started by Washington, D.C. thinkers. They sure come up with new ways to tax our paychecks.
Larry Erard
Walbridge

Exploiting children?
To the editor: The Ohio Lottery's Cash Explosion weekly television show has been presenting a family atmosphere lately. Even though by law children aren't old enough to purchase tickets, they are able to
take the stage and participate in the "fun.”
To any kid viewing the show, appearing on television and winning money may seem attractive and pretty easy.
Are minors being targeted and manipulated in an attempt to pander gambling to them during their most vulnerable developmental years? By allowing this, the members of the Ohio Lottery Commission are apparently
endorsing the exploitation of children for marketing and revenue purposes.
The 19th annual Ohio Problem Gambling Conference is scheduled to be held virtually on Jan. 25 and 27, 2022 and in-person on Feb. 24, 2022 at Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center in Lewis Center, Ohio. It will
be hosted by Ohio for Responsible Gambling and supported by grant funding from the Ohio Department of
Mental Health and Addiction Services via the Problem Gambling Casino Fund tax dollars. Their website states:
"This year’s conference will once again bring together national experts, state leaders, and local innovators in
problem gambling prevention, intervention, treatment, recovery, research, administration, and responsible
gambling."
I've read the agenda but failed to find anything addressing prevention strategies, especially targeting children. Their focus seems to be on fixing people after they've already been ruined and not addressing future addiction.
Leave the kids out of it. Money is a seducer’s main tool to mislead children into unwise decisions and unenvisioned consequences. Ohio shouldn't be holding the candy bag. Gambling addiction has the highest
suicide rate of all addictions.
Learn more about causes and dangers of youth gambling addiction at knowtheodds.org
Randolph Kania
Curtice