Czech Republic: Gov''t Toughens Fight against Alcohol Drinking, Smoking

Source from:  Prague Daily Monitor (cz)  03/29/2013

The Czech government Wednesday approved a plan of the state's tougher fight against excessive alcohol drinking and smoking, mainly by young people, by enhancing prevention steps at schools and setting up a network of services for those in trouble due to drugs, alcohol and gambling.
 
Doctors in various medical branches are to be instructed on how to prevent and treat addictions.
 
The plan outlines the state campaign against addictive substances until 2015. It reckons with the state changing the system of financing the campaign.
 
In 2010, the cabinet outlined the national anti-drug strategy until 2018. It is to be gradually implemented based on three three-year plans, the second of which the cabinet approved Wednesday.
 
Already the first plan, effective in 2010-2012, was to restrict excessive alcohol drinking and marijuana smoking by young people. However, the goal has not been achieved, the plans' authors say.
 
"High toleration of smoking and of alcohol consumption prevails in Czech society and the acceptability of cannabis substances has risen as well," experts say, adding that the first plan has failed mainly due to the decreasing financial support to the anti-drug campaign.
 
The new measures focus on the prevention, treatment, reduction of risks and accessibility of drugs, and also on financial support and international cooperation.
 
The plan says the Czech Republic wants to initiate a change to the European legislation by 2015 in order to get the EU involved in solving the problem of the pervitine hard drug (methamphetamine) in the Czech-German border area.
 
There are about 40,000 problem drug users in the 10.5-million Czech Republic, the authors of the plan say.
 
Up to 110,000 adults may have problem with using cannabis.
 
Up to 1.4 million Czechs drink alcohol in a risky way, and up to 150,000 people may be alcohol-addicts.
 
In 2011, the expenditures on anti-drug policy were 563.8 million crowns. Out of the sum, the state provided 341.9 million, the self-rule regions provided 157 million and towns 64.9 million.
 
The overall sum was one-tenth lower than in 2010, with the budget of sobering-up stations being the most reduced of all.
 
The spending on prevention dropped by one-eighth.
 
The costs of treatment, covered by health insurers, amounted to 1.63 billion crowns in 2010, including 1.17 billion going to the treatment of alcohol addicts alone.
 
The authors of the government plan say a shortage of money has endangered the present network of services for all types of addicts.
 
In future, anti-drug measures may be co-financed from taxes imposed on alcohol and tobacco sale and on gambling, according to the government plan.
 
The state also wants to draw money for fighting corruption from European funds and various grants, the plan adds. Enditem