Hungary's Addicts Face Tough Society, Softer Laws

[christian@hanfjournal]

Tue January 21, 2003 12:36 PM ET

By Andras Muller

 

BUDAPEST, Hungary (Reuters) - Norbert, 31, slumps on a battered brown couch, with just a painting, psychology books and small plastic animals for company.

 

Jailed for five years in 1995 for armed robbery, Norbert is a heroin addict -- clean for six years before succumbing again.

 

Now he's back to square one, trying to beat his addiction in a system that shows little tolerance of drug abuse and where state funding to help addicts is woefully inadequate.

 

Under the last conservative government, Hungary introduced some of the most rigid anti-drug policies in the world, including up to 10 years in jail for any adult caught passing a marijuana joint to a minor.

 

Now, the center-left government is trying to soften that zero-tolerance policy and bring national drug legislation into line with several western European countries, like Britain, though not going as far as the Netherlands in legalizing soft drug use.

 

The proposals come against a backdrop of rising drug consumption and fears of an AIDS epidemic in central and eastern Europe, while creaking communist-era healthcare systems are in urgent need of reform.

 

"Today, they (EU candidate states) have become a clear target for the consumption of drugs," the European Union's drugs agency reported recently.

 

Proposals to relax the strict laws have led to heated debate in Hungary's parliament, but there is growing pressure to ease off on small-time individual users and concentrate money and police resources on tackling drug dealers and hard drug abusers.

 

Under the new proposals, which should take effect by March -- growing or buying a small quantity of certain drugs for their own use would no longer be prosecuted, but anyone caught dealing in significant quantities could face lengthy jail sentences.

 

SYSTEM CAN'T COPE Norbert's psychiatrist, Dr. Peter Rigo, complains that there is no system to help addicts like him.

 

"It's very hard to heal drug addicts when, unlike in Europe or the (United) States, there's no institution specialized in providing therapy for them," he said.

 

"Our institutions are, by default, unfit for this. Hospitals and psychiatric wards are open-door facilities, and drug addicts need to be kept 'airtight' to get clean," Rigo said.

 

Hungary, with a population of 10 million, has only nine institutions suitable for helping addicts over the long-term.

 

These offer just 300 beds for long-term rehabilitation, said Akos Topolanszky, Deputy State Secretary for drug issues at the youth and sports ministry, though he said the government planned to spend 400 million forints ($1.68 million) on more staff and another 200 beds in 2003.

 

Norbert is trying again to wean himself off heroin, but is under no illusions.

 

"When you're hooked on heroin, you can think of nothing but the next fix," he said on the first day of his two-month detoxification period, which will be followed by years of psychiatric treatment.

 

Hungary, better known for its high rate of alcoholism -- it counted 800,000 alcoholics last year -- has a mixed history on drugs. During the 1930s, morphine consumption hit 23 pounds per one million inhabitants a year, way above the European average.

 

Hungary is still one of the world's biggest morphine producers, though manufacture is tightly regulated and armed security agents guard many large commercial poppy fields.

 

Then came decades of Soviet-imposed communism.

 

While the West frolicked in the 1960s, with the Woodstock music festival, free love and drug experimentation, a few thousand hardy Hungarians got high on sniffing glue and industrial solvents.

 

Western drug culture remained a mystery to those behind the old Iron Curtain but, with the fall of communism 12 years ago, Hungarians embraced "traditional" drugs, like cannabis and amphetamines.

 

By the late 1990s, experts say, Hungary was no longer a drug transit route, but a destination.

 

Today Hungary has an estimated 120,000 to 250,000 drug users.

 

NO RELIABLE RECORDS

 

The wide range of that estimate, though, indicates another pressing issue. Hungary has no reliable data on drug taking.

 

Due to join the European Union in mid-2004, Hungary will have to be able to collect data and provide regular updates to the European Union and to United Nations agencies.

 

"If you want to make good decisions, estimates are no good, you need reliable data," said Detective Arpad Eordogh at the Interior Ministry's EU Integration Bureau.

 

Katalin Szomor at the Health Ministry said from the middle of this year a National Information Center on Drugs would be up and running to collect and analyze data and submit EU-standard reports to the EU each year.

 

Drug consumption is moving into line with Western trends.

 

Fewer users are hooked on locally made opiate derivatives, and more are turning to cannabis and the so-called recreational drugs, like amphetamines and ecstasy.

 

The drug culture is also attracting younger recruits.

 

Seven years ago, the youngest recorded drug takers were in their mid-teens, while today, many as young as 14 are sucked into a world of drug dealing and taking, often tied in with family problems and widespread alcoholism.

 

"Heroin is no longer the drug of our age," said Rigo. "Today, everything revolves around performance. You have to be efficient, fast and aggressive. This is why people use speed or ecstasy."

 

Relaxing drug legislation marks the arrival of a more liberal government and Hungary's impending EU entry, but also recognizes the fact that two of every three law enforcers reckon the tough anti-drug laws do not work.

 

"When society isn't tolerant, neither are the laws," said Detective Eordogh.

 

"It's clear the law in its present form has no restraining effect on drug users. It can, however, criminalize or traumatize one-time pot smokers who are jailed for days," Rigo said.

 

Statistics show the tough legislation may in fact have deterred addicts from seeking professional help.

 

In 2001, nearly 12,000 patients sought treatment for drug problems, down almost six percent from 2000.

 

"The key objective of the new law is to give another chance to those who need understanding rather than retribution," said Education Minister Balint Magyar.

 

http://hanfjournal.de/allgemein/new.html#10

 

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?t...storyID=2082001

[Guest Urbanhog]

Last year or the year before that I was watching a very interesting documentry on SBS channel about heroin addiction in east european countries (is Hungry an eastern european country? )

 

They were showing hardcore full blown heroin addicts carrying "ironing board" around so they could have a "mini" table ready at anytime to prepare their smack for shooting up, and they showed people who have been using heroin for many years and the addicts have ran out of useable veins for shooting, so they used their penis and breasts to find a "vein" fucking crazy...

 

The police force often stay away from areas where the homeless drug addicts hang around because the police no longer feel comfortable to patrol these areas due the massive numbers of discarded needles all over the place.

 

There was a scence on TV from in Poland which reminded me of Nimbin, they have "area" where dealers and addicts mix and hang out, and they have "watchers" all over the place to warn everyone when the cops are arriving or patrolling the area.

 

And a lot of eastern european countries dont have access to clean needle exchange programs and thats why there's a high rates of AIDS/HIV and Hep. suffers in Eastern European countries due lack of funding for needle exchange program.....

 

They should just "leaglise" ALL drugs...... and treat the whole matter as a health problem not a criminal issue...

 

Cheers,

 

Urbanhog http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/contrib/sp/chefico.gif

[christian@hanfjournal]

<<about heroin addiction in east european countries (is Hungry an eastern european country? )>>

 

yes!

 

the most of the eastern european countries become member of the european union, and these countries have to commit the eu laws concerning drugs who have been constructed in the 70's and early 80's, so are countries like sweden or germany trying change majoritys in future, and stop the coffeeshopmodel in netherlands. In the new eu the will be more than 20 members, and so won't any country keeping his veto against eu dessicions.

 

christian

Edited February 10, 2003 by christian@hanfjournal

[Ferre]

<<about heroin addiction in east european countries (is Hungry an eastern european country? )>>

 

yes!

 

the most of the eastern european countries become member of the european union, and these countries have to commit  the eu laws concerning drugs who have been constructed in the 70's and early 80's, so are countries like sweden or germany trying change majoritys in future, and stop the coffeeshopmodel in netherlands. In the new eu the will be more than 20 members, and so won't any country keeping his veto against eu dessicions.

 

christian

...The sad thing is that the Dutch politicians who are in charge the last 10 years have been licking the ass off Germany and the US. so they are selling out on the "Dutch drugs policy" too. It sux but it's true.

[christian@hanfjournal]

[christian

...The sad thing is that the Dutch politicians who are in charge the last 10 years have been licking the ass off Germany and the US. so they are selling out on the "Dutch drugs policy" too. It sux but it's true.

well, its not like it seems to be,

first in netherlands existing hundreds of coffeeshops,

second the business around cannabis in very big, its just a market with endless money,

and the third thing is germany pushes dutch since 30 years back to the midage, but nothing happens, but if you have been one time in the city of venlo, it's situated at the german dutch border, the whole city is parked by german car of hash turists. I won't like something like that too,

so venlo build a mc dope a drive in coffeeshop near highway and border.

[Ferre]

christian@hanfjournal,Feb 11 2003, 02:41 AM]=tboat,Feb 10 2003, 10:39 PM][christian

...The sad thing is that the Dutch politicians who are in charge the last 10 years have been licking the ass off Germany and the US. so they are selling out on the "Dutch drugs policy" too. It sux but it's true. :wacko:well, its not like it seems to be,

first in netherlands existing hundreds of coffeeshops,

second the business around cannabis in very big, its just a market with endless money,

and the third thing is germany pushes dutch since 30 years back to the midage, but nothing happens, but if you have been one time in the city of venlo, it's situated at the german dutch border, the whole city is parked by german car of hash turists. I won't like something like that too,

so venlo build a mc dope a drive in coffeeshop near highway and border.

the same thing was happening in the 60's when all the border villages where packed with German "sex tourists" becouse in those days porn shops where forbidden in Germany. Hehe, they changed the laws there so now the "sex-tourism" has ended since Germany has it's own sex shops.

I'm still waiting for the first German coffeeshops to open, the "hash-tourism" will end there too.

and btw, welcome to ozstoners christian@hanfjournal, hanfjournal sounds a bit German?

[Guest Urbanhog]

I'm still waiting for the first German coffeeshops to open, the "hash-tourism" will end there too.

t-boat,

 

just curious from your point of view, why you say that? You mean dutch people are sick of hash tourists in Holland? I mean they bring the cash over and create employment in Holland? If There was no German Hash tourists, the coffeeshops might close and the unemployment rate will increase? or what? or am I wrong here? just curious that all.

 

cheers,

 

Urbanhog http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/contrib/sp/chefico.gif

[christian@hanfjournal]

I'm still waiting for the first German coffeeshops to open, the "hash-tourism" will end there too.

and btw, welcome to ozstoners christian@hanfjournal,  hanfjournal sounds a bit German?

well in germany the are coffeeshops but they are still illegal, if you go to berlin, hamburg or colonge, you'll find a lot of shops, and just much more street locations. So it's no problem getting a lot of smoking stuff, and with police i never got problems, the are always busy with "real" criminals, sometimes you get problems with police but often they only steal your hash and let you go,

thats the situation in big german citys, so why do i need a legalisiation, it is nearly legal.

Yea hanfjournal is german, its a costfree magazine with 100.000 issues every month.

[Ferre]

I'm still waiting for the first German coffeeshops to open, the "hash-tourism" will end there too.

t-boat,

 

just curious from your point of view, why you say that? You mean dutch people are sick of hash tourists in Holland?

nono..people are not sick of hash-tourism in Holland, they are sick of the politicians, Dutch and foreign, making such a big deal out of growing and smoking an ordinarry plant for christ's sake!

..and I wish every country to open shops, what I meant to say is it shouldn't be nececarry for people to go to another country to get some weed.

 

..and uh, Christian, do you have a link to Hanfjournal? I can read some German and you made me curious.

 

(PPPPPPS. Tanx Urbie!***wink)

[cannabinol]

Dutch to plug dyke against tide of German drug tourists

 

Huge illegal trade fuelled by thousands crossing border every day

 

Andrew Osborn in Venlo

Monday February 24, 2003

The Guardian

 

Fed up with thrill-seeking German drug tourists, the Netherlands has decided to turn the hundreds of coffee shops which line its border into German-free zones.

The plan - which would involve ordering coffee shops in areas bordering Germany to serve only Dutch residents in possession of valid "membership cards" - is causing a stir.

 

But the justice ministry and local officials say they will press ahead. The problem, they say, is becoming unbearable.

 

Thousands of Germans visit every day to take advantage of the Netherlands' fabled coffee shop culture. The result, say the authorities, is that dozens of towns have been transformed into open-air drug supermarkets, stalked by aggressive drug dealers and criminals.

 

"Thousands of young Germans, especially schoolchildren, cross into the Netherlands," said Victor Holtus, a justice ministry spokesman.

 

"One of the options we're looking at is to have coffee shops which only serve people who live in the Netherlands. That's what we want to do."

 

The problem, he says, is at its worst in Venlo. Nestled on the banks of the river Maas in the south of the country, this town of 90,000 people is just five minutes' drive from the German border and is awash with drugs, dealers, and tourists. Five million Germans live within 30 miles, and as many as 4,000 of them visit every day.

 

On the Maaskade embankment, coffee shop windows are packed with books on drug use and drug paraphernalia. On the street, dealers or "runners" compete for business.

 

As soon as a new car pulls up the young men stroll up to the window. "Hashish, marijuana, cocaine?" one dealer asks a German couple in an Audi, before making an exchange.

 

"It's not allowed over there, but here it's tolerated," says Jamal, 25, one of the runners.

 

"This whole trade runs right along the border from north to south. For those who smoke, I can tell you, Venlo is paradise."

 

Unsurprisingly, the government's plan to get rid of the German drug tourists is angering the dealers. "They can't do it, and if they do, everyone and everything will go underground and on to the streets," says one coffee shop owner.

 

Dealers are also scornful of claims that their business creates a threatening atmosphere, and accuse the authorities - who closed 50 illegal coffee shops last year in Venlo - of being too heavy-handed.

 

"This government has been very difficult," says Soma, 20, who describes himself as a political refugee from Somalia and a drug dealer. "People only want to make money here.

 

"The government is not fair. They just want to be more in control so that they can tax us. It's all about money."

 

Dutch law stipulates that a maximum of five grams can be sold over the counter in a licensed coffee shop to anyone over 18, but many German customers are in search of larger quantities and are under 18.

 

The runners and the illegal coffee shops, of which there are estimated to be around 65 in Venlo (as against just five official ones) are therefore plugging a large gap in the market.

 

As night falls Oase, one of the town's official coffee shops, is doing a roaring trade. The lights are dimmed, German rap blares from the radio and young Germans have collapsed into the blue and beige sofas.

 

Although the two Dutchmen work fast distributing the hashish and pre-rolled joints in little plastic sealed bags, the queue never seems to go down.

 

Outside, Leopoldus, a retired solicitor in his 60s, peers into the window. "I don't like it at all," he says. "We are liberal and open-minded, but you have to make a distinction between the provinces here in the south and the west. We are more conservative here. I can understand soft drugs, but these people are doing hard drugs too."

 

:: The problem pointed out in this article is not new, but this is the first time I find out the Venlo authorities want to start the discrimination discussion again.

 

Previously, there was talk off using the abandoned border check posts as coffeeshops, to keep the flow of German potheads out of the City center. I do not think the authorities can pull this stunt, it is sheer discrimination.

We all live in 1 Europe now, without frontiers, to promote the exchange of people, goods and knowledge, the coffeeshops living up to this European spirit completely.

 

Holland nor Venlo are the cause of these problems, these are caused by the ongoing cannabis prohibition in the countries surrounding Holland.

We, the Dutch coffeeshops, supply Europe, whereever the coffeeshop may be, not only in Venlo. Not so strange, Holland is the only country in the whole of Europe that sells cannabis openly.

There will be more, even bigger problems in the Belgian borderarea next month, when the Law on cannabis changes in Belgium. Belgians are then officially allowed to possess 5 grams of cannabis, and to grow 1 plant for personal use.

There will not be a coffeeshop system, like in Holland, so all Belgians will start flooding the border coffeeshops as soon as they get the green light...

The coffeeshops in that area are already overloaded, with waiting times as long a s 4 hours, to score a bag of weed, no more than 5 grams.

 

As always, the authorities make it sound very alarming, but in the end, nothing will really change, as long as prohibition surrounds us. Whatever measurements the Venlo authorities will take, it will not prevent the German smokers from crossing our non-excisting frontiers. Even if Venlo manages to keep them out, the Germans will come to get their smoke, so they will go to the nearset city or town with coffeeshops, taking the problem with them. That would mean the 'borderarea' will only expand further into our tiny country, would that implicate that the Venlo rules will accompany the German and Belgian potsmokers?? No way.

Europe has a problem, Holland has already solved it's part, the rest will follow, but they are reluctant to have to admit they were all wrong all the time.

 

Our government should put pressure on the countries that have so many smokers, and so little pot, why are the Dutch to blame for that? I recently joined up as a board member of the PCN, the Platform for Dutch Cannabisentrepreneurs, I will suggest we address the EU countries about the problem their non-system causes for our system and colleagues.

It is strange, however, that the Guardian only mentions the German pot travellers, I think we have as many Britons coming in to Holland for the same purpose, cannabis and liberty. They fly in through Schiphol, and score in Amsterdam, that has the number of coffeeshops to supply that ongoing stream of buyers, and the visitors are good for the City's economy.

Amsterdam: 280 coffeeshops for 800.000 citizens, that means: 1 coffeeshop for 2,857 Amsterdammers.

 

Venlo has only 5 official coffeeshops, that is not even enough to supply the locals efficientely, let alone millions of pot craving Germans...

 

Venlo has 5 coffeeshops for 90.000 citizens.

that is 1 coffeeshop for 18.000 citizens.

Add up 3 million Germans, and you have a huge problem.

 

Demand creates a market, the marketplace is just not big enough, yet...

 

the coffeeshop figures are official, the source:

 

Bureau Intraval:

 

http://www.intraval.nl/pdf/mcn2001_excl.pdf

 

I'll address the Guardian too, to come count Britons in Amsterdam and Haarlem, the UK border area....

We are being invaded by every nationality of the world, on a daily basis, are we going to discriminate you all, in the future???

Edited March 4, 2003 by cannabinol