The head of the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, Amanda Pritchard, has called on British lawmakers to take urgent action to prevent the growing dependence of young people on cryptocurrency trading.

Amanda Pritchard announced the identification of a new form of pathological addiction among young British citizens who are addicted to gambling on the unregulated cryptocurrency market.

“Citizens in deep emotional and psychological crisis after losing money due to cryptocurrencies are increasingly turning to the National Health Service for help. Most of them are young people who are lured by flashy social media advertisements that promise quick riches. The addiction is addictive and leads young people to invest their money in something that has no fixed value. As a society, we must take urgent action as the methods used to keep people hooked become increasingly sophisticated,” Pritchard said.

She noted that all 15 specialized gambling clinics established across the country are documenting “a real and growing social need for the treatment of crypto addiction,” which takes the form of “a severe psychological illness that can destroy the lives of young people.”

Earlier, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced the introduction of a regime to combat abuse in the crypto-asset market in the country, which will require all industry participants to identify and stop any manipulation of digital assets.