Addiction in Chester
Smoking, crack cocaine, heroine, and now gambling. Addictions have been a way of life in Chester for over fifty years. Substance abuse has been identified as the single greatest cause of the level of crime throughout the city; and is most probably the cause for domestic chaos, low educational attainment rates, and the HIV disease progression rate. With State laws currently allowing for the introduction of gambling, Chester has been given the first license for harness racing and will undoubtedly be identified as one of the first municipalities in the state requiring expansion of gambling addiction services. Accessing timely and culturally sensitive services for the patient living with HIV disease and addictions is complicated by independent providers working without the benefit of appropriate funding streams for the care of the uninsured and the under-insured. The AIDS Care Group will be incorporating substance abuse counseling and gambling addictions counseling to its range of psychosocial services in the coming years.
