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Organized crime and security : drug cartels : the global capacity of a rising security threat
Ibáñez de Foerster, Marcela ; Balabán, Miloš (advisor) ; Střítecký, Vít (referee)
Over the last four decades organized crime groups, particularly, drug trafficking organizations or drug cartels, have managed to be under the spotlight of the security agendas of American countries such as Colombia and the United States. During the last two decades, however, the global securitization of the drug trafficking issue, has led them to become a major security threat not only for the Americas, but also for Europe and more recently for West African countries. These organizations pose a threat not only to the security of the state, but to the very essence of it, by corrupting and damaging everything they come in contact with at the political, social, economical and even cultural level. This graduate thesis presents an analysis on Latin American drug trafficking organizations or drugs cartels, as they are commonly known, focusing on the cases of Colombian and Mexican drug cartels. By comparing these two case studies, I suggest that today's Mexican drug trafficking organizations have gained their momentum and incommensurable strength by following the footsteps of the big three Colombian drug cartels that existed between the 1980s and 1990s. The first chapter will expose the definitions and concepts surrounding the research of organized crime. In the second and third chapters, both the...
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Patterns of polysubstance, alcohol and cocaine, use in nightlife setting: Qualitative research
Kazdová, Lucie ; Kulhánek, Adam (advisor) ; Vacek, Jaroslav (referee)
Background: There is currently an upward trend in the availability and use of cocaine within the European Union. Among recreational users, it is consumed mainly in night-life settings where alcohol is traditionally consumed. Alcohol and cocaine are thus often used simultaneously by nightclubbers which carries significant risks. These users also constitute a 'hidden population'whose characteristics and patterns ofuse havenot yet been sufficiently described. Aims: The aim of the research was to map and describe patterns of concurrent alcohol and cocaine use among selected nightlife participants, providing background information on the context of their use. A sub-objective was to assess the level of risk of alcohol and cocaine use based on respondents' experiences and behaviours in nightlife settings. Methods: Respondents were recruited through social networks and directly in the nightlife environment. Methodologically, it was a combination of non-probabilistic methods of selecting the research population (self-selection, purposive sampling and snowball sampling). The research sample consisted of 14 respondents with whom semi-structured interviews were conducted by several interviewers (triangulation of researchers). The data were analysed by coding them and then creating so-called clusters and...
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Crossing the line behind the stage: drugs in theatre
Rybová, Tereza ; Spalová, Barbora (advisor) ; Novotná, Hedvika (referee)
This thesis explores a specific discourse on cocaine non-use/use in the theatre environment, specifically among students and graduates of an arts college in the 20-30 age group. Thus, the research focuses on the use of psychotropic substances in a relatively privileged context. Through a phenomenological research design, an understanding of the lived experience of the actors is achieved. The data was collected through thirteen in-depth interviews. Respondents included non-users, occasional users, people in outpatient treatment and former drug distributors. The study explores how actors perceive experiences with particular drugs and how they define the boundaries of acceptability within psychotropic substance use. The thesis also focuses on what users consider essential during the act of use itself. Special attention is then given to economic relations, drug distribution and perceptions of illegality. The work also touches on the experience of abstinence and outpatient treatment. In addition to describing use in a specific theatrical setting through the eyes of the actors themselves, it is revealed how substance use is normalized in this group and how the actors (dis)define themselves from the socially supported discourse.
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The purity of illicit drugs (methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine) in Czech Republic
Limpouchová, Markéta ; Vopravil, Jiří (advisor) ; Šejvl, Jaroslav (referee)
This work deals with the purity of the illegal drugs methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin, and its implications in a broad context. The theses is divided into two parts - the theoretical and the practical one. The theoretical part provides background information about the selected illegal drugs. The aim is to introduce the drugs in the context of the topic of this work, whereby the reader may gain an understanding of the implications of illicit drug purity. It contains a brief history of the selected drugs and mentions the current prevalence of their use in the Czech Republic. It also provides basic information about the production, chemical structure, administration and effects of these substances. Furthermore, the negative health impact that the adulteration of these drugs may have is also discussed.The practical part focuses on two areas. The first objective of this work consists of a proposal to establish the optimal borders between the wholesale and retail quantities, which should increase the information value of the data. The second objective of this study consists of a secondary analysis of drug seizures and the purity of the most frequently used illegal drugs in the Czech Republic, in the context of an international comparison. It is hypothesized that the purity of imported illegal drugs (heroin and...
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Spectral analysis of thermal decomposition of drugs and cigarette smoke
Vodenková, Eva ; Ferus, Martin (advisor) ; Nejdl, Lukáš (referee)
This bachelor thesis is focused on the spectral analysis of combustion and thermolytic products of selected addictive substances. Spectral analyzes of smoke of various tobacco products (cigarette, electronic cigarettes, hookah) were performed in order to qualitatively determine the composition of smoke and compare the harmfulness of individual types. The main objective was to determine whether the electronic cigarettes are less harmful to health in terms of the composition of the main products detectable by high-resolution spectroscopy occurring in gas-phase smoke. Furthermore, the work deals with a more detailed analysis of drug thermolysis in a wider temperature range and repeatability of measurements over a longer period of time. New spectral single crystal radiation sources from Crytur were also used to measure absorption spectra and their applicability in the field of overton spectra was tested. All these measurements were performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). For tobacco products, less compounds were detected in electronic cigarettes and hookahs than in conventional cigarettes. In the case of drugs, we were able to confirm the repeatability of measurements and determine the percentage of individual substances at different temperatures. Furthermore, the applicability...
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Epigenetic mechanisms in psychostimulant addiction
Kubátová, Eliška ; Novotný, Jiří (advisor) ; Rydzyková, Tereza (referee)
Psychostimulants are highly addictive substances that act in a brain reward center by increasing extracellular levels of monoamines. In western civilization, they have gained popularity during the 20th century. Psychostimulant addiction is a persistent social problem even today since therapy is often unsuccessful and former users relapse frequently. Alterations in gene expression occur after psychostimulant is administered. These changes are long-lasting as they can often persist for weeks and months. This work focuses on the epigenetic changes in a brain associated with the development of addiction after psychostimulant administration. Key words: Epigenetics, psychostimulants, amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine, addiction
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Spectral analysis of thermal decomposition of drugs and cigarette smoke
Vodenková, Eva ; Ferus, Martin (advisor) ; Nejdl, Lukáš (referee)
This bachelor thesis is focused on the spectral analysis of combustion and thermolytic products of selected addictive substances. Spectral analyzes of smoke of various tobacco products (cigarette, electronic cigarettes, hookah) were performed in order to qualitatively determine the composition of smoke and compare the harmfulness of individual types. The main objective was to determine whether the electronic cigarettes are less harmful to health in terms of the composition of the main products detectable by high-resolution spectroscopy occurring in gas-phase smoke. Furthermore, the work deals with a more detailed analysis of drug thermolysis in a wider temperature range and repeatability of measurements over a longer period of time. New spectral single crystal radiation sources from Crytur were also used to measure absorption spectra and their applicability in the field of overton spectra was tested. All these measurements were performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). For tobacco products, less compounds were detected in electronic cigarettes and hookahs than in conventional cigarettes. In the case of drugs, we were able to confirm the repeatability of measurements and determine the percentage of individual substances at different temperatures. Furthermore, the applicability...
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Students' use of cocaine in universities and colleges of Prague: questionnaire survey
Tichá, Laura ; Kuda, Aleš (advisor) ; Minařík, Jakub (referee)
Background: Recreational usage of cocaine in Prague has been increasing in the last few years, especially in the population of young adults within social events. Prevalence (the percentage of population affected by certain conditions or diseases in specific time frames) of cocaine use amongst students in universities and colleges has not yet been researched in Czech Republic. Aim: The main aim is to map the prevalence of cocaine use amongst students in universities and colleges of Prague. Secondarily, research aims to pattern of usage and difference in prevalence of cocaine use given the difference between their field of study. Methods: The data was collected through quantitative questionnaire survey. In total 1366 surveys were collected. This is compiled 554 surveys were conducted from bachelor students, 594 from master students and 218 from college students. Results: From results, we can see that lifetime prevalence of cocaine use in population of students in universities and colleges of Prague is 22 %. 42 % of students that used cocaine had used cocaine in the last year and 34 % of students used cocaine in the last thirty days. Usage of cocaine is more prevalent at field of art studies, with 46 % of students having experience with cocaine in contrast with fields of studies such as technologies...
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Cocaine abuse in the Czechoslovak republic in 1918 - 1938
Knížková, Iva ; Šejvl, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Petruželka, Benjamin (referee)
Backround: Cocaine is an addictive substance which was very popular during the First republic in higher society, although there was no historical tradition of its use. Interest in foreign culture, however, brought many phenomena to the Czechoslovak Republic, including drugs - hashish, morphine and cocaine. Aim: The aim of this work is to chart cocaine abuse in the Czechoslovak Republic during the First republic and describe this period in the context of drug use. Methods: I used content analysis of documents for data collection. The documents were categorized according the years of their release. I used text documents, sound and video recordings. Text documents were most often historical newspaper articles published during the First republic, but also literatue dealing with the relevant issues published in the later period. I also searched for sources from already published documents. Results and conclusion: Cocaine was abused in the Czechoslovak Republic during the First republic abundantly. At first, it was promoted as a miracle cure for the treatment of morphineism and also for its local anesthetic effect. Before long, however, its dependency potencial became apparent. Cocaine abuse often occured in culture and also in higher society. Many famous First Republic actors and actresses fell into...
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Narcoterrorism: Searching for the crossroads of drug trade and political violence
Kolínský, Prokop ; Makariusová, Radana (advisor) ; Záhora, Jakub (referee)
The main objective of thesis ''Narcoterrorism: Crossroads between drug trade and political violence'' is to describe and analyze the phenomenon of narcoterrorism, a concept that combines in its core the politically-motivated violence, the illicit drug trade, and the use of terrorist methods. The goal will be to establish a comprehensive theoretical framework for the various types of narcoterrorism and the different supportive types that may occur between the politically-motivated or ideological groups, and the drug-trafficking criminal groups. This framework will be later primarily tested on the case of Colombia, where various warring ideological and criminal groups will be observed and analyzed. Other cases that will be secondarily used to further prove the established assumptions, will be focusing on other countries which seen in recent history a surge of political or criminal violence, and are either manufacturing or trafficking illegal drugs. These will include Peru, Mexico, and Afghanistan. In the final section of the thesis, the theoretical framework will be assigned to real historical cases, and a question of the prerequisites of narcoterrorist emergence will be discussed.
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