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 Mark 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, Kristof Teglasy, 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 Konozsy, 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.

Szentkiralyi 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.

 

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881. While MTI articles are usually factual, some may contain political bias, and readers should be aware that such content does not reflect the position of XpatLoop, which is neutral and independent.

Since the goal of XpatLoop is to keep readers well briefed, right across the spectrum of opinions, MTI items are shared to ensure readers are aware of all narratives within the local media.

XpatLoop believes in empowering readers to form their own views through complete and comprehensive coverage. To facilitate this XpatLoop has a balanced range of news partners, as you can see when you surf around XpatLoop.com

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