[European action plan on alcohol in the Czech Republic--no substantial progress].

Czech Republic joined European action plan on alcohol for years 2000 to 2004 and signed its accomplishment. However, since 2000 situation has worsened. Alcohol consumption raised in 2001 (the last known data) to 10.0 litters of 100% alcohol (that is 159.9 litters of beer, 8.2 litters of distillates and 16.2 litters of wine per person per year). The only positive aspect was the small rise of consumption tax in distillates and that some thesis of the European action plan on alcohol were included into the governmental document "Long-term improvement of the health status of the population in Czech republic--Health for everybody in the 21st century". The proclamation has had no practical effect. Highly adverse is the situation with alcohol consumption in children and adolescents, which was described in the last study. Risks related to the high alcohol consumption in Czech republic include: High incidence of alcohol related death, including children, adolescents and young people (injuries, traffic accidents, poisonings, suicides, liver and tumor diseases); higher morbidity; lower productivity at work and worse position of Czech workers in concurrent environment; worse reproduction health, higher incidence of inborn defects caused by alcohol taken during pregnancy (including its beginning, when women do not know it); frequent social and family problems caused by alcohol abuses; increased risk of consumption of non-alcoholic drugs in children and adolescents. Alcohol belong to throughway drugs and its consumption in early age represents for children and adolescents a risk factor for other addictive drugs; alcohol is related namely to violent and negligent delicts; flagrant alcohol excesses together with alcohol related criminality harm the prestige of Czech Republic to foreign visitors and can drive them back.