Addiction Policy Action Plan for 2023-2025 approved

The Addiction Policy Action Plan for 2023-2025 (Action Plan) is an implementation document of the National Strategy to Prevent and Reduce the Harm Associated with Addictive Behaviour 2019-2027 and focuses on the use of licit and illicit substances, gambling and other forms of addictive behaviour. The Action Plan sets up five priorities reflecting the current situation and developments in the field of addictions:

• Prevention and treatment of addictions,
• Regulated market for substances with addictive potential,
• Effective tax collection with respect to the level of risk of products with addictive potential,
• Promoting the balanced addiction policy following the priorities of the Czech Presidency in the Council of the EU 2022,
• Minimization of the impact of the crisis in Ukraine on the addiction situation in the Czech Republic.

All priorities are in accordance with the Policy Statement of the Government, which for the first time in history addresses the issue of addictions: "In addressing the issue of addictions, we will apply a policy based on evidence and balanced approach of prevention and harm reduction, while ensuring sufficient funding for both prevention programmes and drug services, and a regulation of substances that will correspond to their degree of risk."

The priorities of the Action Plan should aim to increase the state budget revenues by up to 11-15 billion CZK per year only from tax collection. Effective tax collection should also bring new financial resources for prevention, treatment and harm reduction measures.