Právo: Czechs yearly spend CZK 20 billion on drugs, prostitutes

Prague, Feb 4 (CTK) - Czechs annually spend about 20 billion crowns on drugs and prostitutes in spite of the ongoing economic crisis, the daily Pravo writes Monday.

It says Czechs spend 12 billion on drugs and seven billion on prostitution though many citizens' incomes are decreasing and a number of families must spare a lot.

The number of occasional marijuana and hashish users who took the drug at least once a year, is put at millions in the 10.5-million Czech Republic. Moreover, some 133,000 occasionally use pervitine (methamphetamine), 55,0000 use cocaine, 250,000 ecstasy party drug and 157,000 LSD.

These drugs were also the most frequently abused in the Czech Republic in 2010.

About 28,000 people are pervitine-addicted and some 6000 are strongly addicted to heroin, though it is hard to find out the exact figures in this respect, Pravo writes.

In 2010, some 18 tonnes of hemp-based drugs, 4.5 tonnes of methamphetamine, 4.7 million tablets of ecstasy, one tonne of cocaine and 1.3 tonnes of heroine were consumed in the country.

The Czech Republic leads the standings in the pervitine production and this drug is exclusively exported from the country.

Other drugs are mostly imported, with the exception of marijuana. Expert studies say 80 percent of marijuana or some 15 tonnes are from domestic sources.

Other drugs are most frequently smuggled to the Czech Republic from the Balkans, South America and Asian countries.

Besides, Czechs annually spend further billions of crowns on smuggled or illegally produced alcohol, which makes some 10 percent of all consumed spirits, according to the estimates of the black economy volumes from the respective ministries, sanitary stations, NGOs, expert surveys and the Czech Statistical Office.

Pravo recalls that the proceeds from sexual services, drugs and bootleg spirits are part of the economy and they figure in the national account and statistics.

Some 12,000 people are estimated to make their living on prostitution in the Czech Republic. The prices vary according to the type of services and regions, Pravo says.

There are about 600 facilities offering erotic services in which some 6000 women work in the country. Other prostitutes operate on their own in private flats.

Some 6000 prostitutes are daily "on duty" in the Czech Republic with the average income of 2000 crowns a day, according to the estimates of the Pleasure without Risk NGO aiding prostitutes to prevent sexual diseases.

Czechs prevail among the prostitutes' clients. Foreigners make up some 40 percent, Pravo notes.

The costs of prostitution, including clothes, cosmetics, medical aids, transport and rent, make up some 30-45 percent of the earnings.

Some countries do not publish their citizens' spending on drugs and prostitution though they monitor it.

However, as of next year, European countries should release these figures within the data on their economic situation, Pravo writes.