Yesterday, on the occasion of World Health Day (7 April), dozens of experts presented a call to politicians to protect public health by restricting the availability of alcohol in the Czech Republic. The call is responding to the alarming effects of excessive alcohol consumption in the Czech Republic and offers concrete solutions based on data and best practice abroad. The main initiators are the think tanks ‘Minister of Health’ and Rational Addiction Policy, together with the Czech branch of the World Health Organisation; 25 institutions, mainly from the fields of healthcare, prevention and addiction, supported the call.
In the Czech Republic, 6-7,000 people die each year from alcohol-related causes, which account for about 6% of all deaths. The most common causes are cirrhosis of the liver, cancer, cardiovascular disease and mental disorders, including alcohol-related depression and anxiety. Thousands of hospital admissions each year are a direct result of excessive alcohol consumption, and the health system is constantly overstretched.
According to SYRI, the experience of Czech children with alcohol, which starts at an early age, is also concerning. Some children are exposed to alcohol before the age of two, 18% of children have some experience with alcohol by the age of three and 23% by the age of five.
“The statistics are alarming, but above all we must realise that behind each of these figures there are real people and real lives,” said Tomáš Šebek, a doctor and founder of the Minister of Health think tank. “Most of us have a family member, friend or acquaintance in whose life alcohol has played a negative role. We have seen with our own eyes the devastating effects it can have on a person and their environment. We can never completely prevent similar stories from happening, but we can at least reduce how often. That is our main goal.”
“Despite the fact that alcohol is classified as a hard drug due to its safety profile, it is widely tolerated in Czech society, even when consumed by children,” said Petr Pleva, member of the board of Rational Addiction Policy. “Therefore, it is important to gradually change the social perception of alcohol, for example by introducing stricter regulation of advertising for alcoholic beverages or society-wide campaigns similar to those for tobacco products.”
Pleva added that other proposed measures could also contribute to reducing alcohol consumption and thus improving public health. “These include changing the structure of excise duties so that their amount takes into account the percentage of alcohol in the drink, limiting the availability of alcohol in self-service outlets and at night. It is also important to improve law enforcement.”
Among the institutions that have joined the initiative are the Czech Medical Chamber, the National Institute of Mental Health, the Czech Association of Addiction Therapists and Providers of Addiction Services, the National Association of Patient Organisations, the Czech Chamber of Pharmacists, PAQ Research or the Czech Sokol Community and others.
“We are all offering a helping hand to politicians and we are happy to work together on solutions to improve health and quality of life in our country. We sent this offer together with the challenge to the Prime Minister and eight key ministries at the end of last week,” said Kateřina Hellebrandová, director of the Minister of Health think tank.
The call to protect public health and limit the availability of alcohol was sent to Prime Minister Petr Fiala, and to the ministries of Health, Finance, Industry and Trade, Labour and Social Affairs, Education, Agriculture, Interior and Transport, as well as the Government Council for Public Health.
