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Current AffairsCzechs rank first among Europe's consumers of cannabis
A new annual report released by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs
and Drug Addiction, the EMCDDA, includes some shocking statistics. In the
Czech Republic, 22 percent of people between 15 and 34 have tried
marihuana at least once. Compared to the other 24 states in the European
Union, the Czech Republic ranks first and is on par with the United
States.
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Talking PointCannabis - now a normal part of life in the Czech Republic
A recently released Europe-wide survey found that young people in the Czech
Republic are the leading smokers of cannabis in the whole of the European
Union. Before the fall of the Iron Curtain drugs were largely unheard of
in Czech society, and were very much an underground phenomenon. Today,
however, marijuana in particular seems to have become accepted as a normal
part of life in the Czech Republic.
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Talking PointThe Czech Republic's policy on drug use - Is it working?
Drugs were practically unheard of in this part of the world during the
communist era. A closed border and a tightly controlled society meant that
there was little room for people to indulge in perceived vices such as
drugs. All that has changed, however, since the Velvet Revolution and the
Czech Republic now has tens of thousands of registered drug addicts. One
of the country's biggest challenges in this area has been to formulate a
response to a growing drug problem. This has been especially difficult
considering that the government has had to formulate a consistent policy
on drugs from complete scratch. In this week's Talking Point, we look at
how drug abuse has developed in the Czech Republic in the last 15 years
and what steps the government has taken to deal with the problem. More
MagazineMagazine
What's for Sunday dinner? The mum who was treated to a marihuana "pot
roast", courtesy of her son. Who is stealing the famous Prague Castle
cats? And, a Czech brothel goes on-line. You get everything for free but
the whole world will see you at it. Find out more in Magazine with Daniela
Lazarova.
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Press ReviewPress Review
All the Czech papers lead with Monday's shocking murder of a teacher who
was stabbed by his student in the east Bohemian town of Svitavy. The
Academy Awards that were held in Los Angeles early on Monday morning CET
also make the front pages, with the Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
emerging as the clear winner of the night with a record eleven Oscars. But
it was not a lucky night for the Czech film industry as Zelary, the Czech
nominee in the Foreign Film category, came close but not close enough, the
papers report.
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Current AffairsDeputy PM Mares seeks to make drug law clearer and more liberal
Under the current law on drugs, people can possess "not more than a
small amount" of marijuana, though what constitutes a "small
amount" is not specified. Recently, Deputy Prime Minister Petr Mares
caused divisions within the cabinet by proposing a clearer, more liberal
drug law. It would make possession of less than a fixed amount (some
reports said enough for 250 joints) a misdemeanour, not a crime. On the
eve of Thursday's International Day Against Drug Abuse, Petr Mares
explained why he was putting forward this new legislation:
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Press ReviewPress Review
All of today's papers lead with the same story, the government's plans to
reform the public finance system. Canada's victory over Sweden in the
finals at the World Ice Hockey Championships also makes the headlines in
most of the main dailies. On the international front, it's US President
George Bush's dissatisfaction with his team in Iraq and the recent car
accident that left three Czech soldiers injured in Basra, that make the
front pages.
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