Czechs Third in the World in Alcohol per Capita

According to the Czech Statistical Office, an average Czech consumes 292 beers, 100 glasses of wine, and 175 shots of hard alcohol annually.

Approximately 7,000 people die due to heavy alcohol consumption each year in the Czech Republic. In 2019, there were 4,486 car accidents due to driving under the influence of alcohol, in which 50 people were killed. One in every seven people in the Czech Republic – over 1,000,000 people – consumes a dangerous amount of alcohol.

For experts, two drinks per day for men and one daily drink for women is considered risky drinking, which concerns around 1.5 million Czechs, according to their estimates and the consequences exceed 59 billion CZK a year.

The amount includes both the financing of treatment for addiction, as well as crimes, traffic accidents and reduced labor productivity.

Based on the WHO report, alcohol consumption is the world’s third-largest risk factor for disease and disability; in middle-income countries, it is the greatest risk.

Alcohol is a causal factor in 60 types of diseases and injuries and a component cause in 200 others. Almost 4 percent of all deaths worldwide are attributed to alcohol, greater than deaths caused by HIV/AIDS, violence, or tuberculosis.

Dry February

Meanwhile, the ninth annual Dry February Challenge, aimed at highlighting the dangers of excessive drinking, began in the Czech Republic.

The campaign aimed at encouraging Czech men to abstain from alcohol for the month. The event is organized by the group League of Open Men but is also encouraging women to not drink a drop of alcohol during February.

The group has a dedicated website offering tips on exercises and alternative, non-alcoholic drinks, as well as advice from psychologists.

The NGO prepared “A survival kit” for the courageous ones who want to join the campaign.