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Current AffairsSubstitution treatment for drug addicts to become more widely available

Substitution treatment for hard drug users in the Czech Republic may become more widely available in the future. For instance, methadone, a substitute drug used to break heroin addiction, is so far available only in 13 specialised centres in the Czech Republic. The National Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Use now wants to make the substance accessible to addicts around the country. If it gains approval from the State Institute for Drug Control, methadone could in future be prescribed by GPs and available on prescription from chemists. I asked the director of the drug monitoring centre, Viktor Mravčík, to explain the reasons behind the proposal.  More

PanoramaNew book focuses on problem of drug-abuse through story of teen addicts on Charles Square

Alcohol and drug-abuse and addiction continue to grow in the Czech Republic, especially among many young people, who, for various reasons turn to drugs and alcohol to escape. All too often, many end up hitting rock bottom, a bitter reality that Monika Plocová knows well. The 42-year-old therapist works with groups of alcoholics and drug addicts at the Bohnice psychiatric hospital, helping them try and beat their addiction. She has published several books on the subject and herself battled alcoholism before undergoing treatment nine years ago and later completing a degree in order to be able to help others. Her latest book, Ventil (translatable as “outlet” - as in an outlet for escape) is aimed at helping young people avoid the allure of drugs and the dead end of addiction. More

Current AffairsMedicinal-marihuana conviction sheds light on ambiguous drug law

The Czech Republic is known for its liberal attitude towards marihuana, ranking top of the European ladder in the number of people who smoke pot. But a court in the town of Tábor, South Bohemia, recently bucked this trend when it handed a fifty-two year old woman a two month suspended sentence for growing and using marihuana as medicine.  More

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