Problem Gambling Video to Reach Asian Casino Bus Patrons 09/24/2008 Beginning October 3, 2008, an informational video about problem gambling will air on all Sunshine Travel buses traveling to Mohegan Sun from locations in Allston, Boston, Dorchester, Malden, Lynn, North Quincy, Quincy, Methuen, Lawrence, Lowell and Worcester. The 5-minute public service video was produced by the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling (the Council) and Quincy Asian Resources, Inc. (QARI) as a component of the Council's Asian Outreach Initiative. The goal of the video is to raise awareness about problem gambling and resources available for help in Massachusetts' Asian American communities. John Brothers, Executive Director of QARI explained how the idea came about, “Asian community activists approached us and suggested making an informational video on problem gambling to play on the bus ride to the casinos. By producing a program that bridges cultural and language barriers, we hope to reach a population that received little outreach in the past,” continued Brothers. Funding and support for the development of this project was provided by: State Treasurer Timothy Cahill's Office, the Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Abuse Services, Sunshine Travel, and Mohegan Sun. In order to craft the script and message, three focus groups were conducted in Quincy and Boston’s Chinatown. Based upon the information collected, a master version of the informational video was created in Cantonese with English subtitles. Additional videos were dubbed in Mandarin, Khmer and Vietnamese to bridge language gaps. “We appreciate the support and assistance of this broad group of organizations to get this information out to people who may need it. By featuring interviews with members from the Asian community , we hope that the video will help to remove the stigma surrounding gambling problems, and let the audience know that we understand, and that they are not alone,” said Chien-Chi Huang, the Asian Community Program Specialist at the Council. To achieve maximum visibility, the Council also plans to make the program available to community centers and health agencies serving Asian Americans. For more information, please contact Chien-Chi Huang at 857-383-3563 or chienchi@masscompulsivegambling.org |