Trends in substance abuse by teenagers in the Czech Republic.

Drug Epidemiology Headquarters of the Hygienic Station of the Capital Prague has created a complex drug information system in the Czech Republic. This department collects and analyzes data concerning problem drug users, non-fatal emergencies, and occurence of infectious diseases, and all these surveys are provided on a routine basis. Data are gathered from the national network of treatment and contact centers for drug users, through repeated representative epidemiological surveys, obligatory reports on infectious diseases (hepatitis A, B and C, HIV/AIDS), and a sentinel system of data collection is used for non-fatal emergencies.

Drug Information System in the Czech Republic.

The Drug Information System (DIS) enables to monitor: incidence (the numbers of newly registered problem drug users); prevalence (the numbers of existing problem users visiting treatment/contact centres in a certain time period or as of a certain date); types of used drugs, manner of their application, frequency of use, their availability, purity; health (but also social consequences) of drug use (hepatitis, HIV; social and economic consequences); demographic profile of affected persons (age, sex, employment, education, etc.); time trends showing potential changes of the above specified indicators, including changes in the geographic distribution. Hygienic Service was mandated to create and operate the DIS in the Czech Republic.

Trends in the incidence of problematic drug addicts in the Czech Republic, 1995-1996.

During 1996 there were 3,252 newly registered problematic drug users (incidence 31.5/100,000 inhabitants) while in 1995 it was only 2,470 drug users (23.9/100,000 inhabitants).

Prevalence study of serious substance abusers in the Czech Republic.

In October of 1995, a prevalence study of serious substance abusers was carried out in the Czech Republic. The prevalence study focused on: 1. persons hospitalized because of drug addiction as of 31.

[The present epidemiologic status and prognosis in measles].

During 1990 and partly also 1991, after a practically 10-year zero incidence of measles on the territory of the Czech Republic a measles epidemic broke out. The most severely affected group were adolescents aged 15-19 years who were immunized only by a single dose of vaccine. Conversely the lowest morbidity was recorded in 2-9-year-old children who were immunized already with two doses.