The Czech Republic Annual Report 2010 Drug ... - Drogy-info.cz

Since 2009 the Centre for Addictology has implemented a research project aimed at gaining experience with
prevention measures, research, early diagnosis, and interventions used in relation to working with children and
adolescents from ethnic minorities who are at risk of social exclusion and the consequences of addictive substance
use (Šťastná, 2010; Šťastná et al. 2010). During 2009, a study was implemented to determine whether and to what
extent helping professionals encounter juvenile users of volatile substances. The study focused on addiction services
(including detoxification units and departments, day care programmes, therapeutic communities and after-care
facilities, and psychiatric hospitals and clinics), outpatient medical specialists (including child psychiatrists,
paediatricians, and pulmonologists), institutional care facilities for children (including children's homes, rehabilitation
institutions, and institutions for juvenile delinquents and children with behavioural disorders), and pedagogical and
psychological counselling centres. The next phase of the project tested two prevention tools (the SURPS
questionnaire and the PREVenture methodology for indicated primary prevention – for more information see the
2009 Annual Report) and one research tool (narrative data analysis). A conference on substance use among
children from ethnic minorities was held in Prague in March 2010 at the end of the project 42 .
Over the long term, the activities of Prev-Centrum, a civic association, which implements the Happy Class
programme 43 , or the activities of the Prostor civic association in Kolín 44 , are presented as examples of good practice
in the area of selective (and indicated) prevention. The activities of Anima 45 , a civic association operating a
Children's Club for children from families affected by addiction or from at-risk environments, can also be presented
as an example. The Counselling Centre for Drug and Other Addiction and the Pedagogical and Psychological
Counselling Centre in Brno organise parents’ groups for families at risk of addiction, children’s groups, and crisis
intervention and follow-up assistance for children, young people, and parents.
Low-threshold facilities (clubs) for children and young people are active in the area of selective prevention for
children and young people vulnerable to risk behaviour and social exclusion. These facilities primarily provide
outpatient services to unorganised children with risky lifestyles. The basic means of establishing contact with the
target group is an offer of leisure activities. The aim is to improve the quality of life of the target groups by preventing
and reducing the social and health risks associated with their way of life, enabling them to orientate themselves in
their social environment and to create conditions allowing them to deal with their adverse social situation if they want
to. The low-threshold facilities for children and young people provide educational, instructional, and engagement
activities free of charge. They provide a social service under Act No. 108/2006 Coll., on social services, and are
therefore financed by subsidies from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. In August 2011, there were 233 lowthreshold
facilities for children and young people across the Czech Republic in the register of social services 46 . A
major achievement in 2010 was the extensive research of the Czech Streetwork Association that focused on how
services are provided in low-threshold facilities for children and young people, evaluation of the success of working
with clients, and identification of the key factors in this respect 47 .
In 2010, in collaboration with other providers of drug services (the SANANIM, Podané ruce, Prevent, and Semiramis
civic associations and the CPPT public service company), the Chilli.org civic association implemented the third year
of its project Safer Party Tour, focused on drug prevention and harm reduction interventions at summer dance and
music festivals 48 . A total of 499 contacts (75% of them men) were recorded at 9 festivals. The services at dance
events included an offer of advice and providing objective information about legal and illegal psychoactive
substances, informing users of the substances about their short-term, long-term, and side effects, safer use, dosage
and legislative issues, as well as offering medical treatment and the distribution of harm reduction materials such as
condoms, earplugs, syringes, and plasters. The highest demand was for condoms, information on safe drug use,
and bottled water and earplugs. The 2010 Safer Party Tour project also included monitoring of the provision of a safe
environment for visitors to dance events. Similarly to previous years, music festivals vary in the level of provision to
ensure the safety and health of participants and the persistent major shortcomings identified are the absence of free
drinking water, inadequate hygiene in toilets, and the confiscation of soft drinks at the entrance (Národní
monitorovací středisko pro drogy a drogové závislosti, 2011b) – see also the chapters on Drug Use in the Nightlife
Setting (p. 38) and Programmes Aimed at Drug Use in Recreational Settings (p. 111).
Since 2005, the Promile INFO internet and text message service operated by SANANIM has been in place in the
Czech Republic. This is a simple application that helps users ascertain their approximate blood alcohol level and
about how long it will take for them to sober up and be able to drive again. The service is available in 2011 at stalls at
summer music festivals 49 .
42
http://www.adiktologie.cz/cz/articles/detail/365/1749/ (2011-08-17)
43
http://www.prevcentrum.cz/CPP/SPP.aspx (2011-09-14)
44
http://www.os-prostor.cz/cz/programy-primarni-prevence-sluzby (2011-09-14)
45
http://www.anima-os.cz/dklub (2011-09-14)
46
http://iregistr.mpsv.cz/ (2011-08-17)
47
http://www.streetwork.cz/index.phpoption=com_content&task=view&id=3181 (2011-09-05)
48
http://www.saferparty.cz/ (2011-08-23)
49
http://promile.info/ (2011-08-23)
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