Wastewater study: Czech Republic is a European meth hotspot

The EU Drugs Agency conducts an annual wastewater analysis. The Czech capital Prague tops the European rankings for methamphetamine, according to a study published in March that analyzed 128 cities in 26 countries.

Compared to other European capitals, Prague had the highest per capita methamphetamine contamination. According to the study, 629 milligrams per 1,000 inhabitants per day were detected—almost double the 2021 level.

At the national level, Prague was surpassed only by Ostrava , the Czech Republic's third-largest city , where 914 milligrams of methamphetamine were detected. Consumption has also increased in smaller cities like Karlovy Vary.

Methamphetamine is a synthetically produced, highly addictive substance that disrupts sleep, suppresses appetite, and can cause severe physical and mental exhaustion. Long-term use is associated with cognitive impairment, psychosis, and severe social consequences.

Drug use in the Czech Republic and across Europe has increased again after a slump during the Covid pandemic, according to the 2024 wastewater analysis . Among EU capitals, Prague ranked fourth for cannabis levels and seventh for cocaine levels.

Experts attribute the Czech meth trend to a long tradition of home production dating back to the communist era. Traditional small-scale production continued through the 1990s and into the present, evolving into a decentralized network of small-scale producers who often remain both consumers and producers.

"It used to be produced for personal use. Only in the last few decades has it become a commercial commodity," Jindřich Vobořil, a leading Czech expert on addiction policy , told the Czech online media outlet Deník Referendum .

Small and numerous meth labs

According to Czech police, a total of 189 meth labs were uncovered in 2023 – most of them small and scattered across the country. Larger meth labs have increasingly relocated abroad, according to police data.

Czech authorities are increasing their efforts to combat drug production, but enforcement remains a challenge.

Czech media reported the arrest of several producers last month. The decentralized nature of production makes it difficult to take tough action.

The Czech Republic is also expanding harm reduction and treatment services tailored to drug users.

As part of the addiction policy action plan for 2023-2025, the government intends to increase the capacity of existing substitution treatment programs and support the development of new programs.

This includes examining pharmacological treatment options for methamphetamine and cannabis addicts. The goal is to provide more targeted, evidence-based treatment while reducing the long-term health and social consequences of drug use.

(de, kn)