Recreational use of synthetic stimulants such as 'ecstasy' also matches Western European levels. The Czech Republic also has its own domestic amphetamine substance called pervitin, which was available on the black market under Communism and remains in use. Ivan Douda, a psychologist who founded Prague's Drop In Center, where drug addicts can turn for medical care and counseling, says the upward trend was expected. This is probably going to sound banal, but we are confronted on a daily basis with the fact that the heightened drama in this country regarding drugs is a sort of price for the freedom we have gained. Our people, especially young people, were not ready for this freedom and the responsibility that comes with it.
Drugs offer a feeling of freedom and relaxation.
Following the downfall of Communism, a more liberal climate led to the revision of existing drug laws. The manufacturing and trafficking of illicit substances remained subject to prosecution, but not the possession of drugs for personal use. Soon, however, heroin began to appear in the Czech Republic in large quantities. With conflicts in the former Yugoslavia disrupting existing trade links, the Czechs found themselves on the so-called Balkan drug route, leading from Turkey to Western Europe. Local police complained that the law made it almost impossible to arrest dealers, who could easily pose as simple users.