Twice as deadly? Shocking drug death rates revealed in Budapest

Drug-related deaths in Budapest are twice the national average, according to Alexandra Szentkirályi, the Fidesz-Christian Democrat group leader in the city assembly.

In the video uploaded to Facebook on Saturday to mark the International Day against Drug Abuse, she said the availability to young people of cheap synthetic drugs on the streets and in clubs had skyrocketed in recent years.

In the video, forensic psychologist Márk Kitanics spoke of the many ways in which drugs led to breakdowns in society, including “serious violent crimes that tend to take place under the influence of one mind-altering substance or another”.

Referring to Budapest’s drug strategy focusing on reducing harm done to young people, Kristóf Téglásy, a leader of the Drug Research Institute, argued that the strategy was misplaced and should be confined to those who were in the gravest situations. But, ultimately, Hungary should be made drug-free, he added.

Rehabilitation specialist Zsolt Könözsy, a former addict who ended up on the streets for 16 years, said programmes to reduce harm were the wrong policy. Had he encountered a similar programme, he would no longer be around to take part in today’s conversation, he added.

Szentkirályi said zero tolerance was not callous but a form of protection for those who have not yet fallen into drug-taking or for those about to climb out of it.

Read more drug-related news in Hungary HERE.

Read also:

• Budapest faces growing drug problem: ‘Drugs are cheaper than booze’
• High-risk drug lab uncovered in downtown Budapest apartment