Czech public opinion on the acceptability of using most substances has not changed in the past four years. Photo credit: Freepik.
Prague, July 3 (CTK) – 62% of Czechs consider the use of cannabis to be morally acceptable, according to a recent survey by the Centre for Public Opinion Research (CVVM), which is 9% higher than in 2019.
Otherwise, the Czech public’s opinion on the acceptability of using other substances has not changed in the past four years.
The use of ecstasy, methamphetamine and heroin continues to be met with the highest level of disapproval, from over 80% of respondents, while over 90% consider the use of painkillers and alcohol to be acceptable.
Regular or occasional use of painkillers, sleeping pills or tranquillisers is considered morally acceptable by 97% of people, while 93% said the same about alcohol and 88% about smoking tobacco. In contrast, only 16% of respondents felt this way about the use of ecstasy, methamphetamine or heroin. Compared to 2019, these results are almost identical.
The majority of respondents (76%) believe that drug use is a current problem in the Czech Republic, though only a third of people perceive it as a problem where they live. At the same time, more than half of citizens think that the relevant institutions in the country are dealing adequately with drug use, while 29% think it is being dealt with insufficiently.
According to the findings of the survey, 76% of respondents also believe that drug addicts should be provided with free counselling. 70% agreed that every drug addict has a chance to be cured, and 68% were in favour of providing free treatment to drug addicts for a limited number of attempts.
Half of people agreed with free addiction treatment without restrictions. A similar proportion of citizens are also in favour of providing clean syringes. A fifth of respondents said that the work of drug addiction streetworkers is pointless.
Compared to the 2019 survey, more people think that treatment for drug addicts should be free, or at least for a certain number of attempts, and that every drug addict has a chance to get cured. Conversely, the number of people who think that the work of streetworkers is pointless has decreased.
“Longer-term comparisons show that views on the issues change little over time, and the current survey shows the most tolerant view yet of drug addicts, addiction treatment, and related services,” said the authors of the survey, which involved 800 people aged 15 and over between 27 March and 22 May.
