ABSTRACT
When analysing social problems, one has to take into account that the specific conditions of a problem may be defined in many different ways by the various organizations and groups involved. Such definitions usually have a significant impact on the beliefs shared by public opinion. Hence, opinions on drug problems shared among the organizations surveyed constitute an important part of our research. Estimates provided by respondents reflected differences in the population of drug users in the countries studied. The average number of Polish drug users was estimated at 750,000, in the Czech Republic and Hungary the number varied between 250,000 and 280,000, in Slovenia it was 75,000. A striking difference appears in the case of “individual perspective”, i.e. organizations, i.e. those whose activities are focused on meeting individual needs, particularly treatment and care.
