Prague, Kaiserstein Palace | 18 June 2026
We invite you to the international conference AddictionsCEE 2026, taking place on 18 June 2026 in Prague at the historic Kaiserstein Palace. The conference builds on the success of previous editions – AddictCZSK 2024 in Bratislava and AddictEU 2025 in Brussels – and extends the dialogue on addiction and mental health across the wider Central and Eastern European region.
Registration is open at www.addictionscee.eu
About the Conference
AddictionsCEE 2026 is a regional platform for experts, policymakers, healthcare professionals, and representatives of European institutions. Its aim is to share experience across countries, connect national experts with European institutions, and promote evidence-based policymaking. The conference will bring together leading scientists, physicians, and politicians from the Czech Republic and abroad, alongside representatives of the European Union Drug Agency (EUDA) and the media.
Conference Topics
The conference will focus on four key areas:
- From Crisis to Care: The Opioid Challenge in Central and Eastern Europe — emerging trends in opioid use, harm reduction approaches, substitution therapy, and cross-border cooperation
- Regulating Legal Addictive Substances — the effectiveness of alcohol and tobacco policies, taxation, youth prevention, and the rise of novel nicotine products
- Digital Addiction and Mental Health — the impact of social media, online gaming, and gambling on mental health, particularly among young people, as well as regulatory frameworks and prevention strategies
- New Psychoactive and Psychomodulatory Substances — approaches to regulating novel cannabinoids, kratom, HHC, and striking the balance between public health protection and innovation
Speakers
- Dr. Boris Šťastný, MBA, LL.M. – Minister of Sports, Prevention, and Health of the Czech Republic
- Dr. Pavel Bém, Ph.D. – Psychiatrist and Head of Family Therapy at the 1st Medical Faculty, Charles University Hospital in Prague, Czech National Drug Policy Coordinator and vice-chairman of the Government Council for Addiction Policy Coordination
- Linda Montanari, MSc, Ph.D. – Principal Scientist – Health and Social Responses, Policy and Society Sector, European Union Drug Agency (EUDA)
- Jindřich Vobořil – Chairman of the Board, Institute for Rational Addiction Policies, Advisor to the National Drug Coordinator, Office of the Government
- Dr. Dita Protopopová, Ph.D. – National Coordinator for Mental Health at the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic, Executive Vice-Chair of the Government Council for Mental Health, and Head of the Mental Health Policy Department
- Prof. Dr. Jiří Horáček, Ph.D., FCMA – Director of the Czech National Institute of Mental Health, Head of the Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology at the Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University
- Dr. Ľubomír Okruhlica, CSc – Director of the Center for the Treatment of Drug Addiction of the Slovak Republic
- Aileen O’Gorman, BA, MSc, Ph.D. – Professor of Substance Use and Social Policy, University of the West of Scotland, Vice-President of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP)
- Dr. Casian Stan – Physician and Psychotherapist, ARAS – Asociația Română Anti-SIDA, Specialist Physician in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care
- Prof. Dr. Wim van den Brink – Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry and Addiction at the Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam
For the full list of speakers, visit www.addictionscee.eu/speakers
Organisers
Institute for Rational Addiction Policies (IRAP) is a multi-disciplinary think tank based in Brno, Czech Republic, that gathers independent and renowned experts who study the topic of addiction from different perspectives (public and mental health, legislation, economics and market modelling, tax issues, education, and sociological aspects). Together with prevention and awareness-raising activities, IRAP implements research projects to generate insight and important data that could serve as input for legislative and non-legislative discussions at the national and EU levels.
Institute for Mental Health and Addiction Studies (IMHAS), builds an international cooperation network focusing on the Czech Republic and the Central and Eastern European region. IMHAS activities include conducting research projects, developing methodological recommendations, analyzing legislation, and organizing professional platforms for sharing innovative approaches. As an organization, IMHAS contribute to the development of policy and practice in mental health and addiction based on current scientific knowledge and data.
The Romanian Association Against AIDS was founded in 1992, in Bucharest, as one of the first NGOs working in the field of HIV in Romania. Ever since, ARAS has been working in prevention of HIV, viral hepatitis, STIs, TB among general population and in vulnerable groups, in support for people living with HIV, hepatitis, TB, in advocacy for access to medical and social services. ARAS is the first provider of harm reduction services for people who use drugs (started in 1997) and, as such, runs at present two methadone substitution centers and a drop-in and outreach harm reduction service. ARAS is also the only provider of PrEP services in Romania, in Bucharest, Cluj and Timișoara.
Auspices
The conference is held under the auspices of the National Institute of Mental Health (NUDZ).
Registration
Attendance is free of charge. Register on the official conference website www.addictionscee.eu