As of July 2021, there were 10,353 prisoners held in Slovakia [1], of which 1,060 were incarcerated for drug law offences in 2019 [2]. Unauthorised possession of illicit drugs for person use – defined as an amount corresponding to three times the usual single dose for personal use – carries a penalty of up to 3 years imprisonment; and for amounts corresponding to up to ten times the usual single dose for personal use, the prison term can be for up to 5 years [3]. HIV prevalence among prisoners was estimated at 0.3% in 2015 [4] and antiretroviral therapy (ART) is available in prisons, but there are no opioid substitution therapy (OST) services, nor needle/syringe programmes (NSP) [5].

The Government of Slovakia spends €18,396 per year to support each prisoner, or €50.40 per day [6].

In 2017, there were an estimated 4,888 (range 3,966 – 9,782) high-risk opioids users in the country [7] but HIV has not been detected among people who inject drugs in Slovakia [8]. In 2018, NSP cost in the region was €203 per client, per year, and OST cost around €1,825 per client, per year [9]. Unemployment is provided for a maximum of 6 months at the rate of €1,869 in total, or €311.50 per month [10].

If the Government of Slovakia were to provide assistance to each person who injects drugs, it would cost them around €3,897 per drug user, per year, compared with spending €18,396 in support of the same person in prison. Consequently, by decriminalising drug use and possession, the Government of Slovakia could save itself €14,499 per drug user, per year, and potentially up to €15.4 million in total each year.

[1]    Prison and Judicial Guard Corps. Number of convicted by month. Bratislava; Prison and Judicial Guard Corps, August 2021. https://www.zvjs.sk/file/f1f2244a-f004-457e-bb5a-79c320a1fac5.pdf (accessed 10 August 2021).
[2]    Aebi MF, Tiago MM. SPACE I – 2019 – Council of Europe Annual Penal Statistics: Prison populations. Strasbourg; Council of Europe, 2020. https://wp.unil.ch/space/files/2021/02/200405_FinalReport_SPACE_I_2019.pdf (accessed 4 August 2021).
[3]    European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). Slovakia Country Drug Report 2019. Luxembourg; Publications Office of the European Union, 2019. https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/system/files/publications/11351/slovakia-cdr-2019.pdf (accessed 10 August 2021).
[4]    European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). Slovakia Country Drug Report 2017. Luxembourg; Publications Office of the European Union, 2017. https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/system/files/publications/4506/TD0116920ENN.pdf (accessed 10 August 2021).
[5]    Harm Reduction International (HRI). Global State of Harm Reduction 2020, Regional Overview 2.2 Eurasia. London; HRI, 2021. https://www.hri.global/files/2020/10/26/Global_State_HRI_2020_2_2_Eurasia_FA_WEB.pdf (accessed 3 August 2021).
[6]    Aebi M F, Tiago MM. SPACE I – 2020 – Council of Europe Annual Penal Statistics: Prison populations. Strasbourg; Council of Europe, 2021. https://wp.unil.ch/space/files/2021/04/210330_FinalReport_SPACE_I_2020.pdf (accessed 3 August 2021).
[7]    EMCDDA 2017, Ibid.
[8]    EMCDDA 2019, Ibid.
[9]    Information submitted by national partners.
[10]      Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. Slovakia – Unemployment insurance benefit. Brussels; European Commission, undated. https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1127&langId=en&intPageId=4770 (accessed 10 August 2021).