The Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic

Security and prevention

Drugs

Misuse of narcotics and psycho tropics and the criminality linked to that are among the risk factors of the internal security situation of a country. Drugs very often act as trigger of other forms of criminality since the drug users often tend to secure the money needed illegally, through diverse forms of crime - be it property or violent crimes or offences against morality. Illegal drugs' trafficking has remained in the focus of organized crime groups, whilst its proceeds are often used to fund operations of terrorist groups.

Within the Security Policy Department of the Ministry of Interior is in charge of counter-drug policy. It cooperates with other departments of the Ministry, units of the Czech Police and other external partners. It monitors patterns and developing trends, evaluates the situation and takes measurers in the area of internal security in order to prevent or limit threats related to the illegal drugs trafficking and drugs dealing in the Czech Republic. The Department participates in the design of national strategy for counter-drug policy and related ministerial action plans. It participates in the meetings of advisory and working bodies of the Governmental Council for co-ordination of the counter-drug policy whose member is the Minister of Interior. (Director of the Security Policy Department is a permanent member of the Committee of ministerial representatives of the Governmental Council for co-ordination of the counter-drug policy.) On 12 April 2005 the Minister of the Interior signed the Action Plan of the Czech MoI for the implementation of the National strategy of counter-drug policy for 2005 - 2006. This plan follows up the previous document prepared for the period 2003 - 2004 and further elaborates the objectives of the National strategy of counter-drug policy for 2005 - 2009. The Action Plan contains a brief overview of the situation in the area of illegal drug trade on the Czech territory in 2004, possible solutions to particular objectives that should be meet over the period 2005 - 2006 and some other undertakings planed for 2007 - 2008.

The bulk of the Security Policy Department's activities lie in the area of primary prevention and suppression of the drug supply. In this context, the following specific goals have been set by the Ministerial Action Plan:

• Reduce the availability of both legal and illegal drugs to the society and in particular to minors by means of a more effective use of existing legislative and institutional tools.
• Stabilize or possibly decrease the consumption of legal and illegal drugs within the society, especially among minors.
• Limit the potential risks stemming from the misuse of all types of drugs and limit its economic, health and social impacts on individuals and society as a whole.