Budapest faces growing drug problem: ‘Drugs are cheaper than booze’

Budapest’s drug problem is no longer lurking in the shadows; it’s sprawled across park benches, tram stops, and playgrounds, in broad daylight. As synthetic marijuana, known locally as “herbál”, floods the streets, addiction has become disturbingly visible, cheap, and dangerously normalised. Blikk’s investigation reveals a city struggling with a silent crisis that’s anything but hidden.

Synthetic marijuana becomes more popular

Blikk has dug deep into Budapest’s growing drug problem, uncovering a grim reality that plays out in broad daylight across the city. From Blaha Lujza Square to Józsefváros, synthetic substances like “herbál”, a potent and cheap designer drug, are ravaging communities. Once seeking cheap alcohol, many vulnerable individuals now opt for these easily accessible narcotics. Users, often visibly intoxicated and semi-conscious in public spaces, deny their addiction, but their vacant stares and erratic behaviour reveal the truth.

Addicts do not hide in the shadows anymore

Public parks and squares have become open-air stages for the drug problem, with addicts congregating near playgrounds, benches and metro stations. Despite regular police patrols and interventions, the cycle continues. Locals report that nights bring heightened danger, with addicts becoming aggressive or entirely unresponsive. Residents live in fear, and even regular commuters say they alter their routes to avoid run-ins with users or dealers.