Poverty drug use in Hungary

Abstract

There is little substantive information on the present trends on drug use in the countries of central and eastern Europe, including Hungary. There has been a substantial change in recent years in the illegal and legal use of psychoactive substances: the western type of drug trade and drug use has begun, with the influx of the classical drugs (heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, LSD and hashish). In addition, a study based on data obtained from all district physicians shows that the rate of regular use of psychoactive substances is very high in the parts of Hungary with poor infrastructure. This “poverty” drug use, together with the poppy cult and the traditions of grape cultivation and wine drinking could be a serious obstacle to the wider spread of western type drug use in Hungary.

Drug Problems and Drug Policy: A Hungarian Point of View

“…It is in rural settlements with a low popula tion, in a less favourable situation as regards infrastructu ral facilities, that substance use is higher. We have de scribed this phenomenon as 'poverty drug use' [6].…”