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The Czech Republic has a relatively long tradition in the addictive and problem use of methamphetamine, which is called "pervitin" locally. This paper attempts to provide as complex a picture of this phenomenon as possible by analyzing what is known about the Czech methamphetamine situation through scientific monitoring and research. It begins with a brief historical overview and then utilizes five key indicators (surveys, treatment demand, problem drug use estimates, blood borne diseases, and mortality) and some of the core indicators (namely, drug related crime, price and purity data, and estimates of market value) of drug epidemiology that were developed by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). By summarizing and carefully interpreting this data, the specifics of the Czech pervitin scene are described and future research directions are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes regional differences in the extent of drug use within the Czech Republic, especially in regard to wider demographic, socioeconomic, and institutional contexts. It documents the relationship that exists between the presence of environmental risk factors and the extent of related risk behaviors (e.g., criminal behavior or problematic use of psychotropic substances). Available sociodemographic and economic indicators collected from 14 regions were assessed in light of the data on the extent of criminality, distribution and funding of services for drug users, and the extent of drug use. Further on, correlation, factor and cluster analyses were made to closely observe the relationship of individual indicators and to assess the similarities within the regions. The analysis reveals that within the Czech Republic (its geographic size is similar to that of the state of South Carolina), substantial differences exist in terms of risk behaviors and drug use. The analysis illustrates that regions exhibiting the highest number of environmental risk factors also experience higher levels of personal risk taking. That is, both high drug use prevalence and negative indicators of drug use consequences are concentrated in regions experiencing extensive social problems. These findings can facilitate better targeting of the scarce resources that are designated every year for drug policy by directing them in the future to the neediest locales experiencing most severe drug-related problems. Existing regional differences should also be considered when formulating and implementing health, social, and drug policies at the national and regional levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid dissemination of drug use among adolescents in the Czech Republic and other Central and Eastern European countries during the 1990s had a significant impact on health care and social services for this population group. This paper describes the current situation related to drug use among adolescents in the Czech Republic and in other European countries and discusses several attitudinal and behavioral correlates of drug use among young people. The results presented here have been extracted from a database of the European School Survey on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) from 1995, 1999, and 2003. At the time of data collection, the average age of respondents in the sample was 15.4 years. Marijuana was the most common illicit substance used by European adolescents. The results also showed a marked increase in the number of adolescents who use substances repeatedly between 1995 and 2003. A marked increase in the popularity of ecstasy occurred in the same period. Between 1999 and 2003, the use of opiates and amphetamines in the Czech Republic decreased slightly. Attitudinal variables indicate that Czech adolescents tend to be more tolerant towards selected forms of drug using behavior than are their peers in Europe. The policy by which society tries to confront drug related health and social issues includes an expansion of the network of specialized facilities for treatment and resocialization and long-term programs in the field of prevention. In the future, the significance of programs that focus on early detection and intervention will increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]