Police called to 257 overdoses in Czechia last year, cases increased

Last year, police in Czechia were called to 257 cases of overdoses involving illegal drugs, psychomodulating substances, or psychoactive medications. That is about 90 more cases than the previous year. A total of 111 cases resulted in death, compared to 77 fatalities a year earlier. However, last year’s data may be more accurate than before, said Lucie Šmoldasová from the National Drug Headquarters. She also noted that these figures include only cases involving police, and the real number of poisonings was likely much higher.

The news server Novinky.cz recently reported a significant increase in cannabinoid overdoses in Prague. In 2023, Prague emergency services recorded around 500 such cases; in 2024, the number rose to 820, and last year it exceeded 1,000. This year, in less than the first quarter, there have already been more cases than in the whole of 2023.