Talking Openly About Addiction: A Discussion with Mgr. Lukáš Verner at the Klánovice Children’s Home

On 16 September 2025, as part of the VOL Without Invisible Victims project, we held an expert discussion on addiction-related behaviour and support services at the Klánovice Children’s Home.

The main speaker was Mgr. Lukáš Verner, a professional with many years of experience in the field of addiction services, including outreach programs, low-threshold centers, outpatient services, and prison-based work.

The event was attended by around 20 children of various ages, mostly secondary school students, along with 5 staff members including the facility management.

What did we talk about?

The session aimed to introduce the children and staff to:

• how addiction services work and how to access them,

• anonymous help without stigma or judgment,

• myths about abstinence that often discourage people from seeking help,

• the risks of new addictive substances, overdose, and infectious diseases,

• and also how addiction is addressed in prison environments.

An open atmosphere and genuine interest

According to the speaker, the discussion was very lively. Both children and staff asked many questions and showed strong interest in practical aspects – from specific addiction cases to the social perception of addiction, and even job opportunities in the field.

The atmosphere was summed up by the educator of the home, PhDr. Alois Daněk, Ph.D.:

“The discussion wasn’t just a regular lecture (which might have bored us a bit), but rather a space for honest and open exchange of views. The atmosphere was stimulating and the event was evaluated as extremely beneficial.”

Meaningful prevention activities

Addiction remains a highly relevant and often misunderstood topic, especially among young people. That’s why we view such activities as key – not only in terms of prevention, but also in building trust in professionals who are ready to help when it matters most.

We sincerely thank the Klánovice Children’s Home for their trust and look forward to more events like this.

The project “VOL Without Invisible Victims”, Reg. No. CZ.03.02.02/00/24_066/0004673, is supported by the Operational Programme Employment Plus, co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus.