Wailing Has Begun with Ukrainian Pseudo-NGOs Also Attacking Hungary's Drug Policy

The open letter signed by 116 civil society organizations protesting the Hungarian government's drug policy is riddled with misleading claims and does not reflect the full picture, said the Drug Research Institute (DKI). The signatories spoke out against the bill without even knowing what measures it contained. The organizations calling themselves civil society groups include six Ukrainian associations, which the DKI says should “clean up their own doorstep first,” as the drug situation in their home country is tragic.

The amendment proposed by the Hungarian government, which aims to impose stricter penalties on illegal drug use and trafficking, is not a radical break from previous policy. Rather, it represents a slight shift in emphasis: greater weight is given to legal sanctions as deterrents, and law enforcement efforts are being stepped up to push drug trafficking out of the country.

Drug policy is not an emotional issue

In Hungary’s current social context — where the use of new psychoactive substances, the ease with which young people access drugs, and the resulting social consequences are severe — it is clear that a more decisive legal response is justified. The new amendment addresses the balance in how drug-related crimes are handled in terms of prevention, harm reduction, diversion programs, and criminal prosecution.

This debate is not helped when people cry 'war' even before the draft is published and try to mobilize international opinion on that basis.

Drug policy is not an emotional issue, but a professional one, which requires knowledge of the context and an assessment based on factual information.

"We support upgrading the diversion system, strengthening preventive programs, and broadening prevention efforts. At the same time, we believe it is justified for the state to respond to repeat or more serious offenses with proportionate legal consequences," the DKI emphasized.

Cover photo: Illustration (Photo: MTI/Zoltan Mihadak)