Cent Eur J Public Health 2022, 30(3):144-153 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a7079

Use of psychedelics in the Czech Republic: results of recent population surveys

Pavla Chomynová^{1, 2, 3}, Rita Kočárová^{1, 4, 5}, Filip Kňažek^{1, 6}, Michaela Plevková¹, Barbora Bláhová¹, Karel Valeš¹, Viktor Mravčík^{1, 3, 7}

¹ National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic

² Czech National Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Addiction, Office of the Government of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic

³ Department of Addictology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

⁴ Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

⁵ Beyond Psychedelics, Prague, Czech Republic

⁶ Faculty of Pharmacy, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

⁷ Spolecnost Podane ruce, Brno, Czech Republic

Objectives: Different psychoactive substances are widely used in today's society. So far limited data are available on the use of psychedelics in the general population. The main aim of this study is to estimate the numbers of users of substances with psychedelic properties (classical psychedelics, cannabis, ecstasy, and ketamine) in the Czech Republic.

Methods: Data from two samples enrolled in representative cross-sectional questionnaire surveys in the Czech adult population in 2016 (n = 2,785) and 2018 (n = 1,665) were analysed. Prevalence rates were extrapolated to estimate numbers of current, i.e., last-year, users of psychedelics, and their socio-demographic profiles were compared with non-users and users of cannabis.

Results: An estimated 5-6% of the Czech adult population (350-430 thousand people) used classical psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca) in their lifetime, increasing up to 28-30% when cannabis is included (1.9-2.1 million users). Current use of classical psychedelics reached 0.7-1.9% (50-130 thousand people), and 9-11% (590-750 thousand users) when cannabis was included. Users of psychedelics were more often males, of younger age and single.

Conclusions: No significant socio-demographic differences were found between users of classical psychedelics and recreational cannabis users, however, differences were significant when compared to non-users and users of other illicit drugs. Findings should further serve to inform drug policy and social and healthcare systems in respect to the use of psychedelics.

Keywords: psychedelics, hallucinogens, cannabis, medical cannabis, substance use, epidemiology

Received: August 27, 2021; Revised: July 26, 2022; Accepted: July 26, 2022; Published: September 30, 2022  Show citation