REGIONAL COMPARISON OF DRUG USE IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC IN 2002: SITUATION ANALYSIS IN WIDER DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIOECONOMIC CONTEXTS.

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]