Over 700 students of Accra Technical University Sensitized on Gaming Addiction And Mental Wellness
The Members of Parliament for Korley Klottey and Awayaso West Wuogon, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings and Hon. John Setor Dumelo, have jointly cautioned players of games of chance, popularly known as punters, to exercise restraint in their gaming activities, to avoid falling into addiction.
Their call came during a sensitization event at Accra Technical University (ATU), organized as part of the Gaming Commission of Ghana’s Purple Month celebration, aimed at highlighting the negative impact of gaming addiction on mental health.
Addressing the students, the Member of Parliament for Korley Klottey, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings emphasized that addiction does not discriminate and can affect anyone, regardless of background, age or socioeconomic status. ‘Addiction does not discriminate, you must understand that. It does not matter who you are, where you come from, how old you are, what your background is or how much money you have’. She warned that gaming addiction can ruin lives, damage families and destabilize society. Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings encouraged the students to look out for each other and support friends or peers who may be struggling with addiction, urging those affected to seek help.
In a similar vein, the Member of Parliament for Awayaso West Wuogon, who doubles as the Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, the Hon. John Setor Dumelo also shared his own experience with gaming. ‘I used to bet some year ago and I became addicted to games on my phone. During the day, I always wanted to check which games were playing so that I could put some Ghc 200 on them… At some point, I realized that the habit was consuming my time,’ he added. Hon. Dumelor
He urged the students to recognize early signs of gaming addiction and take steps to prevent it from escalating.
The Ag. Commissioner of the Gaming Commission of Ghana, Mr. Emmanuel Siisi Quainoo expressed concern over the growing number of gaming-related addiction cases, especially among the youth. ‘The Commission is very concerned about gaming addiction. Everyone has an addiction to something. It is the excessiveness that matters. We do not want to lose a single student to gaming. This must be a collective fight,’ Mr. Quainoo stated.
Representing the Mental Health Authority, Dr. Richard Dei-Asamoa explained the link between gaming addiction and mental wellness. He described addiction was a chronic condition marked by compulsive engagement in an activity, despite its negative or harmful consequences. “Gaming becomes problematic when a person needs to gamble with increasing amounts of money to feel the same level of excitement,” he said.
Dr. Dei-Asamoa listed warning signs such as restlessness when trying to stop, repeated failed attempts to cut back, borrowing to gamble, lying about time or money spent on gambling, and bragging about wins. He encouraged the students to limit gaming time, explore alternative hobbies, and seek professional help when necessary.
The Acting Pro-Vice Chancellor of Accra Technical University, Prof. Felix Kutsanedzie commended the Gaming Commission for its proactive advocacy and called for more sustained and collaborative efforts to address gaming addiction among young people.
In total, over 700 students were educated on the dangers of gaming addiction and the importance of mental wellness, marking a significant milestone in the Purple Month campaignthis May.
