ABSTRACT
After 1989, the Czech Republic opened up to a process of economic transformation and social change. This brought about not only fundamental changes in the drug scene, but also in legislation, public administration, general health and the welfare system, and, consequently, in the institutional context of drug demand reduction. The increasing need for services and their growing potential in the field of drug demand reduction have influenced the growth of professional and financial resources. In 1993, the Czech Government approved the “Concept and Programme of the Anti-Drug Policy”. Since then, a focused effort has been observed towards institutional integration and the establishment of an institutional infrastructure that is able to meet the needs of education, communication, co-operation and the sharing of information between the various institutions that deal with the drug problem in the Czech Republic. Within 10 years, the Czech Republic has succeeded in creating a relatively differentiated network of institutions which focus on the reduction of drug demand.
