The Czech Republic and the Central European region is dealing with the spread of Crystal Meth.

From the International Herald Tribune:

The methamphetamine epidemic is not just a scourge of the American heartland. It has a powerful foothold here in the heart of Central Europe. Home meth labs are sprouting up all over the country to produce this cheap, potent drug using the pseudoephedrine found in common cold medications.

As of now, heroin still remains the drug of choice in Europe, followed by the increasing use of cocaine. Authorities are concerned that the groundwork is being laid for an explosion in meth is actions are not taken soon .

Though the quantity seized rose fourfold over the same period to 135 kilograms, or almost 300 pounds, that is a small amount compared to the 5,150 kilograms seized in the United States. But the concern is that the European growth lays the tracks - in demand, production and distribution - that could lead to an explosion in use.

The sudden growth of the drug in the United States and its expansion from a regional issue to a national one serves as a warning, said an expert at the UN drug office.

“It must be feared that something similar could happen in Europe,” said Thomas Pietschmann, a main author of the annual UN World Drug Report.

Havocscope’s listing of drug prices in the Czech Republic.