European Action Plan on Alcohol in the Czech Republic – No Substantial Progress

Overview

Czech Republic joined European action plan on alcohol for years 2000 to 2004 and signed its accomplishment.However, since 2000 situation has worsened. Alcohol consumption raised in 2001 (the last known data) to 10,0 littersof 100% alcohol (that is 159,9 litters of beer, 8,2 litters of distillates and 16,2 litters of vine per person per year).The only positive aspect was the small rise of consumption tax in distillates and that some thesis of the Europeanaction plan on alcohol were included into the governmental document “Long-term improvement of the health statusof the population in Czech republic – Health for everybody in the 21st century”. The proclamation has had no practicaleffect. Highly adverse is the situation with alcohol consumption in children and adolescents, which was describedin the last study. Risks related to the high alcohol consumption in Czech republic include: High incidence of alcoholrelated death, including children, adolescents and young people (injuries, traffic accidents, poisonings, suicides, liverand tumor diseases); higher morbidity; lower productivity at work and worse position of Czech workers in concurrentenvironment; worse reproduction health, higher incidence of inborn defects caused by alcohol taken during pregnancy(including its beginning, when women do not know it); frequent social and family problems caused by alcohol abuses;increased risk of consumption of non-alcoholic drugs in children and adolescents. Alcohol belong to throughway drugsand its consumption in early age represents for children and adolescents a risk factor for other addictive drugs; alcoholis related namely to violent and negligent delicts; flagrant alcohol excesses together with alcohol related criminalityharm the prestige of Czech Republic to foreign visitors and can drive them back.

Key words:
high alcohol consumption, problems related to overconsumption of alcohol.