
Many researchers consider pathological gambling to be an impulse disorder. Based on this, we might expect other impulsive behaviors to be prominent in populations of people who have gambling problems. This week’s WAGER explores this issue by reporting on a study that investigated HIV sexual risk among substance abusing problem and non-problem gamblers (Petry, 2000). Petry enrolled 134 individuals, recruited from newspaper advertisements and social service agencies, with lifetime histories of probable alcohol, cocaine, or heroin abuse. Substance abuse was considered to be at least a 1-year regular pattern of: (1) alcohol use to intoxication at least three times weekly;... Read more →