Drug use among the general population and young peopleIn 2012 the National Survey on Substance Use was implemented by the Czech National Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction in association with the SC&C agency. A total of 2 134 respondents aged 15–64 were selected using a representative household sample. A previous general population survey using similar methodology was carried out in 2008. In addition to the general population surveys, two omnibus surveys were carried out in 2012, and five omnibus surveys were reported in the period 2008–11.
According to data from the latest national survey, cannabis continues to be the most frequently used illicit substance in the Czech Republic. Some 27.6 % of respondents indicated ever having used cannabis, while among the young adults (aged 15–34) the lifetime prevalence rate was 46.4 %. Some 9.2 % of respondents had used cannabis in the past 12 months and 4.4 % in the past 30 days. The highest prevalence rates for past 12 months and past 30 days use of cannabis were noted among respondents aged 15–24. Thus 23.3 % of 15- to 24-year-olds had used cannabis at least once in the past 12 months, while 11 % had used it in the past 30 days.
Males reported recent use of cannabis more frequently than females, and the difference was particularly significant in younger age groups. The survey confirmed that use of new psychoactive substances was more common in younger adults. About 0.9 % of respondents aged 15–34 indicated they had ever used new synthetic drugs and 1.6 % of respondents indicated they had ever used new herbal drugs. Results from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) are available from 1995, with the most recent survey conducted in 2011.
Lifetime experience of an illicit drug other than cannabis among 15- to 16-year-olds increased from 4.3 % in 1995 to 9.0 % in 1999 and 11.2 % in 2003, and decreased to 8.0 % in 2011. Cannabis use (herb or resin) is very prevalent among this age group. In 2011 some 42 % reported that they had tried cannabis substances at least once.
Lifetime use of inhalants was reported to be 8 %, hallucinogens (LSD) 5 %, and ecstasy 3 %. A decline was noted for lifetime use of cannabis (45 % in 2007 to 42 % in 2011), amphetamines (from 5 % in 1999 to 2 % in 2011), and ecstasy (from 8 % in 2003 to 3 % in 2011). Last year prevalence of cannabis use was 30 % and last month prevalence was 15 %, indicating a decline compared with 2003, when the highest rates were reported (36 % and 19 % respectively).
The most recent Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study among 15-year-old students, conducted in 2010, reported 31 % lifetime prevalence of cannabis use. While there was a drop in lifetime prevalence rates between 2002 and 2006 (from 31 % to 25 %), an increase was observed between 2006 and 2010 (from 25 % to 31 %). Around one-fifth of the students had used cannabis in the past 12 months.
