N.L. gambling suicides not that common, med examiner says

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR, Canada -- As reported by the CBC: "Newfoundland and Labrador's medical examiner, Simon Avis, is disputing a claim that 10 to 15 people in the province commit suicide every year for reasons related to gambling.

"Author and University of P.E.I. professor Peter McKenna made that claim. His book Terminal Damage: The Politics of VLTs in Atlantic Canada, published this month, examines gambling and video lottery terminal (VLT) use in the region.

"...Avis told CBC News on Wednesday that McKenna's information is wrong.

"According to Avis, only two of the 505 suicides in the province in the last decade have been proven to be directly linked to gambling issues.

"'Just because a person gambles and commits suicide, doesn't mean that gambling caused them to commit suicide. It may have been something else,' Avis said..."