Chris Simpson, Alstonville
Whilst the COVID-19 monster threatens to destroy our wellbeing, our magnificent land ‘down under’ continues to suffer deep and profoundly serious social pressures.
This includes high levels of financial stress causing widespread marriage- and family-breakdown, domestic violence, increased drug and alcohol dependence, and the world’s highest level of gambling addiction.
Advertising is stuffed down our throats daily, imploring us to ‘back ourselves – but please gamble responsibly’. Why is this madness allowed to persist? Answer: pathetic pandering to the highly lucrative gambling industry in this country, by a weak and compromised government.
Statistics tell us that approximately ten per cent of Australian adults experience significant problems from gambling, so you would think that a responsible government would do the right and proper thing; that they would get the barrage of gambling advertising off our TV screens. But oh no, Iet’s continue to feed the evil beast, and the social damage be damned.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
