drugs/medications

Orbán’s Fidesz slams Tisza for supporting Budapest’s “ultra-liberal” drug policies

The opposition Tisza Party has signed up to “ultra-liberal” drug policies in Budapest, Alexandra Szentkirályi, the Fidesz-Christian Democrat group leader in the Budapest assembly, said on Saturday.

The Fidesz-led group in the assembly recently proposed abolishing the Budapest drug strategy and drafting an expressly anti-drug plan, she noted in a video uploaded to Facebook.

The “ultra-liberal” policy of the Budapest administration and its supporters concentrates on mitigating the harm done to drug users rather than on prevention.

Rather than supervise and support drug users by making their habit safer and more comfortable, a policy directed towards complete recovery, zero tolerance towards dealers and producers, and prevention was preferable, Szentkirályi added.

Orbán's Fidesz slams Tisza for drug policies
Alexandra Szentkirályi. Photo: MTI

Drug rooms in entertainment venues, drug party services, testing and needle disposal points supported drug use instead of fighting against drugs, she said.

This is why Fidesz has urged the Budapest assembly, and specifically the Tisza group, to support a new anti-drug strategy. Even then, “Peter Magyar’s people” voted “resoundingly against” Fidesz’s proposals, she said.

So the “liberal rainbow coalition’s pro-drug strategy remains in place”, she said.

“Let’s put an end to the collusion between the drug lobby and political parties,” she added.

Read also:

  • Drugs situation in Budapest serious, leading politician says

Drugs situation in Budapest serious, leading politician says

Budapest has a serious drugs situation which must be brought to a stop, the head of the Fidesz-Christian Democrats group in the Budapest assembly said on Thursday.

Alexandra Szentkirályi said on Facebook that drugs had never been cheaper or easier to get hold of than today, and she added that the city council should play a key role in taking up the fight against drugs, yet it was doing the opposite.

She insisted that the city’s drugs strategy was not anti-drugs, but created by “pro-drugs activists” who lobbied for the freer and more comfortable consumption of drugs.

“Budapest residents have never been asked about this,” she said, adding that the mayor, Gergely Karácsony, and his team “have set the task of ensuring comfortable drugs regulations for young people in clubs”.

New drug addict centres in Budapest
Source: depositphotos.com

Szentkirályi said drugs were inspected but then returned to users. “As a mother with a teenage daughter, how can I feel that she is safe in the capital if the City Council encourages consumption?” she added.

The Fidesz politician said the Hungarian capital was involved in concealed drugs liberalisation, using various means to support drugs users instead of helping prevention and fighting crime.

Read also:

VIDEO: Hungarian Balkans drug lord brought to Hungary

The leader of a drug cartel active in the Balkans, a Hungarian national, has been brought back to Hungary after his arrest in Tenerife in August, the National Bureau of Investigation of Hungary’s Rapid Response Police said.

The 32-year-old spent three years in hiding, and was taken straight to prison when his plane landed at Ferihegy International Airport on Wednesday night, police.hu said. He will spend 8 years in prison for drug trafficking, it said.

Investigations are under way in another two cases, where he is suspected to have been part of drug deals as a member of a gang led by Nikolic Andrija between 2019 and 2021, the statement said. That operation was uncovered in March 2021 when EUROPOL and EUROJUST successfully hacked the Sky ECC surface containing information of the Hungarian suspect’s activities including buying and selling at least 13kg of cocaine, 40 litres of amphetamine, 10,000 ecstasy pills and 82kg of marijuana.

Here is a video how he was brought to Hungary:

Read also:

  • New information and photos emerged of the American woman who went missing in Budapest – read more HERE
  • Murder in Budapest: Suspect caught just 9 hours later – UPDATE: Identity of victim revealed, details HERE

Hungarian university warns against using online diabetes products for slimming

Antidiabetic drugs purchased online and taken with the aim of losing weight could pose serious health risks, researchers at Pécs University (PTE) said on Friday.

Experts warn against using diabetes product for weight loss

In its statement, the university said there was an increased demand for Ozempic injections in Hungary, while the drug “often cannot reach diabetic patients who would need it the most.”

ozempic weight loss diabetes university
People are increasingly using Ozempic, a diabetes product, for weight loss. Photo: depositphotos.com

Obtaining the drug from the black market poses “huge health risks”, they added. In their research, the experts made trial purchases on popular websites and found that nearly every other semiglutide product on offer was available from illegal pharmacies and could impact the users’ health through contamination or an overdose.

Quoting from a study published in the US periodical JAMA Network Open, the purity of online products was far below expected levels, while they could contain up to 40 percent more active ingredient than recommended, posing risks of an overdose.

Watch a video of the effects of the diabetes medication on weight below:

Read also:

Featured image: depositphotos.com

Heads up! Store closures in Hungary on 20 August: Major retailers Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, and where to shop

aldi store shopping 1 may 20 august 23 october

This year, 20 August falls on a Tuesday, and as it’s a national holiday in Hungary, most shops will be closed. Here’s a summary of the opening hours for major chains like Aldi, Auchan, CBA, Lidl, Spar, and Tesco, as well as pharmacies, gas stations, and smaller stores for both Monday and Tuesday.

Since 20 August is a holiday, and the preceding Monday is a compensatory day off (already made up for earlier in August), the long weekend brings adjustments to store hours across the country.

aldi store shopping 1 may
Aldi. Photo: depositphotos.com

Most large retail chains will remain closed on 20 August, Pénzcentrum reports. However, exceptions include smaller convenience stores located at gas stations and those operating 24/7, as well as some smaller chain stores. Here’s a breakdown of the opening hours for key chains:

  • Aldi: Stores will be closed on Tuesday, 20 August, and will reopen on Wednesday, 21 August, with their usual hours.
  • Auchan: Similarly, Auchan stores will close on Tuesday and resume regular operations on Wednesday.
  • CBA: CBA stores will follow the same pattern, being closed on Tuesday and returning to normal hours on Wednesday.
  • Lidl: Lidl stores will not open on Tuesday, 20 August, but will operate as usual starting Wednesday.
  • Penny: Penny stores will close on Tuesday and reopen as per their standard schedule on Wednesday.
  • Spar and INTERSPAR: All Spar and INTERSPAR stores will also be closed on 20 August but will be back to regular hours on 21 August. However, Spar Express locations at OMV gas stations will remain open during the holiday.
  • Metro: Metro stores will observe the holiday by closing on 20 August, reopening on 21 August with their normal hours.
  • Tesco: Tesco stores will be closed on Tuesday, except for those located within Shell gas stations, which will stay open. Normal hours will resume on Wednesday, 21 August.

For pharmacies, most will be closed on 20 August, so it’s important for those in need of medication to plan ahead. Emergency pharmacies will still operate, and their locations can be found through the National Institute of Pharmacy and Nutrition’s search tool.

As for gas stations, convenience stores at gas stations will remain open. In Budapest, 24-hour shops like Roni and Manna will also continue operating. The opening hours for privately owned small stores will vary based on the owner’s decision, so customers should check with individual stores.

Overall, with many stores closing for the holiday, planning ahead is essential for those needing to shop or purchase medications.

Read also:

Featured image: depositphotos.com

Hungary expanding the list of prohibited designer drugs

Medicine prohibited designer Drugs Pills

Hungary is expanding the list of prohibited designer drugs this summer, Bence Révtári, the parliamentary state secretary of the interior ministry, said in a statement on Friday. Designer drugs, he said, posed a particular threat and Hungary has broadened the list of banned psychoactive substances with seven new ones.

He noted Hungary maintains a zero-tolerance drugs policy, adding that the “competition between drug labs and the police” was constant, and it was important to update the list of prohibited substances regularly so that the authorities “can take action against the distributors of the latest drugs as soon as possible”.

Of the seven newly listed substances, four appearing in Hungary are classified as synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids.

Among the other three substances, one is a synthetic derivative of LSD, another has a sedative-hypnotic effect, while a synthetic opioid derivative belonging to the nitazene opioid group poses a serious health risk, he said. The latter have not yet been seized in Hungary, he added.

The state secretary said that whenever a new psychoactive substance appeared in Hungary, the conditions were in place to seize it and initiate criminal proceedings. Since 2015 a ministerial decree has defined the list of controlled substances, allowing the authorities to respond more quickly and flexibly to new substances.

Read also:

Cocaine found on a Greek bus at southern border of Hungary

serbian-hungarian drug trafficking ring

Hungarian customs police discovered cocaine, methamphetamine and a large amount of cash on a Greek bus at the southern border of Röszke, the tax and customs authority (NAV) said on Friday.

Inspectors searched the vehicle and luggage, finding 56,000 euros stashed in a false compartment of a suitcase as well as three bricks of drugs and four bags, with tests confirming that the packages contained a total of 1,200 grammes of cocaine and 560 grammes of methamphetamine, the statement said.

The authorities have raised charges against a Mexican citizen for possession of drugs, and they are also taking action in connection with failure to report cash over 10,000 euros, the statement added.

Read also:

  • Horrific: 31 foreigners fall ill from cannabis gummies in Budapest – Read more HERE
  • Here are the new “drug addict centres” of Budapest – 18+

Featured image: illustration

Here are the new “drug addict centres” of Budapest – 18+

New drug addict centres in Budapest

Based on a new report, mostly homeless drug addicts from Hős Street in Budapest’s 8th district moved to other parts of the capital.

The local government “cleared” the Hős Street and its neighbourhood from drug addicts, but they did not disappear from Budapest. Based on a new report of the Drug Research Institute (Drogkutató Intézet), one of the new places drug addicts conquered is the area between the Móricz Zsigmond körtér and Lake Feneketlen in Budapest’s 11th district. Magyar Nemzet wrote that drug addicts here consume cheap, harmful and uncontrolled designer drugs.

Aggressive drug addicts rampage in Budapest

People on drugs are sometimes aggressive. They abused pedestrians and knocked down a man recently. A father said he would not like to explain to his son why somebody stuck a syringe into his arm but highlighted that the situation worsened in the area in the last two years.

New drug addict centres in Budapest
Source: depositphotos.com

Another drug addict centre is the H9 suburban railway, commuting between Budapest and Gödöllő. Big groups travel to Kerepes to meet their dealers and get high on the trains or at Boráros Square. Then, they leave the used syringes around. Sometimes suburban HÉV trains are full of addicts, who even cover the trains with faeces.

Read also:

  • Shocking data about the drug use of Hungarian university students – read more HERE
  • Horrific: 31 foreigners fall ill from cannabis gummies in Budapest – details in THIS article

Featured image: illustration, depositphotos.com

Horrific: 31 foreigners fall ill from cannabis gummies in Budapest

cannabis gummies bear

Over two dozen people had to be transported to a toxicology clinic in Budapest after they consumed cannabis gummies purchased at a local hemp store. The foreigners experienced near coma-like symptoms, with many of them needing days to recover. The police are investigating the event.

According to Blikk, a total of 31 non-nationals had to be hospitalised in Budapest in the past two weeks after consuming highly potent cannabis gummies. The foreigners visiting Budapest had bought the cannabionide-containing gummy candies in a CBD shop on Váci Street – a bag that contains five pieces of sweets and sells for HUF 15,000 (EUR 38.12). The product, as stated on the packaging, contains a substance called THCJD, which is a psychoactive cannabinoid similar to the more well-known THC.

Cannabis gummies induced nightmare: people in near coma from consuming THCJD

As THCJD is a relatively new strain of cannabinoid on the CBD market, scientific literature on its effects is virtually non-existent as of yet. Many say, however, that it has such a high potency that it mimics a strong psychedelic effect. Some claim that it is almost twenty times more intoxicating than THC. As there are a limited number of studies on the substance, verifying these claims is difficult, but nonetheless, the reported extreme potency of the substance puts consumers at an increased risk of intoxication and impairment.

This is probably what happened to the foreigners that had to be taken to the toxicology unit: according to Blikk, several of them were practically unconscious after consuming the cannabis gummies. A Jordanian couple, for example, was found unconscious in their Airbnb, lying on the floor in their own excrement, after missing for several days. They were not the only ones in such a predicament: others had been in a near coma-like state for days in the clinic.

“Totally out cold. They can neither speak nor move. It’s as if they were in a coma, lying there for days,”

a relative of one of the patients admitted told the newspaper. According to their information, the first patients exhibiting these symptoms arrived at the ward on Friday 21 June. Several of them were found to have cannabis gummies, and one person even had the bill for the candy with them. This is what led to the hemp shop on Váci Street.

Addictologist opinion: these drugs may be a cause of death

The relative who spoke to Blikk magazine said that while they did not know for sure momentarily, the patients did not seem to have suffered any permanent damage after consuming the cannabis gummies.

However, addiction specialist Dr. Sándor Funk stressed, “if something causes such a severe coma-like condition that lasts for days, then unfortunately there can be permanent damage, depending on what the drug has done to the brain. The destruction of nerve cells in the cortex causes symptoms similar to dementia (forgetfulness, dullness), but also vegetative problems.”

According to the expert, synthetic cannabinoids such as those in the cannabis gummies are particularly dangerous, both because they are extremely potent even in small quantities and because until they are officially identified and tested, the authorities cannot take adequate action to prevent their distribution and they circulate freely on the market.

“Until new substances are tested, until they are fine-tuned to know at exactly what dose they work, they can cause overdoses. They are very dangerous indeed, they can cause death,” Funk added.

The Budapest Police Headquarters reacted to the incident

In response to a request from Blikk, the Budapest Police Headquarters said that “an investigation has been opened against an unknown perpetrator on suspicion of incitement to the use of narcotics because in recent days several people – including minors – have been hospitalised after becoming ill after consuming gummy candy bought in a downtown CBD shop. Investigators have seized the shop’s entire stock of gummy candy and are subjecting them to forensic examination.”

Read also:

VIDEOS: Serbian-Hungarian drug trafficking ring busted in Budapest

serbian-hungarian drug trafficking ring

The National Investigation Bureau (KR NNI) has taken down a Serbian-Hungarian drug trafficking ring in Budapest, with investigators uncovering 750 million forints’ (EUR 1.9m) worth of amphetamine oil, marijuana, hashish and cocaine at several properties.

Serbian-Hungarian drug trafficking ring busted

KR NNI has been investigating an international drug trafficking ring since summer 2023, the agency said on police.hu on Thursday.

A Serbian man was detained at a border crossing on the southern border on 11 March, it added.

Investigators searched two apartments and a garage linked to the man and found more than 600 million forints’ worth of amphetamine and marijuana.

A Hungarian and two Serbian men were then arrested in Budapest on 7 April by units of counter-terrorism force TEK.

Searches of their properties yielded several kilograms of hashish and cocaine as well as shrink-wrapping machines, digital scales and plastic bags.

A total of 27 kilograms of drugs were seized from the three men, with a black market value of close to 150 million forints.

All four men are under arrest on suspicion of drug trafficking.

A Hungarian member of the ring managed to escape and domestic, European and international arrest warrants have been issued against him, KR NNI said.

Read also:

Shocking data about the drug use of Hungarian university students

Budapest Corvinus University students

University students drink more alcohol, use more drugs, but smoke less than the average for both secondary school students and the 18-34 year olds, according to a recent representative survey conducted by researchers at Corvinus University of Budapest.

A research team, led by Zsuzsanna Elekes, Professor at Corvinus University, mapped risk behaviours of young people through a national representative survey. The HUN-REN Social Epidemiology Research Group surveyed 1,385 university students in 2022, with an equal split between girls and boys, and between residents of the capital city and the rest of the country.

The results show that smoking is less prevalent among university students than the average population, with 43.6% of respondents having consumed some tobacco product in the week before the survey and 17.9% smoking on a daily basis. The average proportion of Hungarians who smoke daily was 24.5 per cent in 2019, according to KSH data. Interestingly, traditional cigarettes are still the most popular among students, with e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products being less popular.

Photo: Budapest Corvinus University

A university student drinks twice as much alcohol as an average young person, on an average occasion

As for alcohol, one third of students consume it on a weekly basis; weekly drinking is twice as common among boys as among girls; and university students’ consumption is more than twice the amount drunk by secondary school students. 94% of respondents had consumed alcohol during the prior one-year period, and 27% of them had consumed large amounts of alcohol on a monthly basis. In addition, it turned out, that when university students drink alcohol, they consume much more of it than adults or secondary school students: more than twice as much as secondary school students when calculated in terms of pure alcohol.

Beer and wine are the most common drinks among university students, hard liquors do not dominate and, unlike secondary school students, they tend to drink in pubs and bars rather than at home. When asked if they had ever experienced any signs of a hangover, 41% of respondents reported some problem, compared to 10.3% in a previous nationwide sample of adults. Students at universities of Budapest and natural sciences drink higher amounts and more often than students at institutions outside Budapest and of social sciences.

“One of our important goals is to explore the alcohol situation in Hungary, as often uncertain data is available on it. Young people are the most at risk in this regard, but relevant research is rarely conducted among university students, unfortunately, and this is why the current results are so valuable,” Zsuzsanna Elekes, Professor at Corvinus University, Leader of the HUN-REN Social Epidemiology Research Group, emphasized.

Almost one in two students have tried some kind of drug, the most common being cannabis (36.3%), sleeping pills or tranquillisers taken without a prescription (14.3%), and Ectasy (8.2%). More than a quarter of students are repeat users; and boys and students studying in Budapest are more affected. Cannabis is more than 3.5 times more prevalent among university students compared to 18-34 year olds, and more than twice as prevalent compared to the age group of students in forms 9 -10. Other relatively common drugs include amphetamines (6.6%), sleeping pills and sedatives taken on prescription (6.1%), alcohol drunk on medication (5%), magic mushrooms (4.8%), cocaine (4.4%), painkillers used to improve mood (4.3%), synthetic cannabinoids (4.1%) and LSD (3.4%) – with heroin at the bottom of the list at 0.2%. Working while studying is a risk factor: a higher proportion of university students who are currently working have tried drugs than those who are not.

 

Photo: Budapest Corvinus University
Photo: Budapest Corvinus University

University students spend 6.6 hours a day online

Another Corvinus staff in the Research Group, Kitti Kutrovátz, researched what students spend their leisure time on. According to the results, the most popular leisure time activity among students is meeting friends, followed by “just hanging out at home or elsewhere”, and then traditional TV watching; doing sports is characteristic to a third of them. The question is also influenced by gender, with girls more likely to spend their time without any special goal, and boys more likely to do sports. People in Budapest also spend time doing sports more frequently. Longer and more frequent online presence is more characteristic to residents of settlements other than the capital city, to the inactive in the labour market, and to those without a partner relationship.

Photo: Budapest Corvinus University

“Protective factors include relationship status and work: the risk of problematic internet- and social networking site use is lower among those in stable relationships. Those who work while pursuing their studies participate in more cultural events,” Kitti Kutrovátz, Corvinus University staff member, said.

In the online space, students mainly use social media, listen to music, watch videos and films. The average time spent in front of a screen is 6.6 hours per day among those surveyed. Boys are more likely to play online games, while girls are more likely to chat and use social networking sites. Problematic internet use is characteristic to about one in four university students, but only 6% of them use social media in a worrying way.

Read also:

  • Students in Hungary in deep trouble: financial struggles are immense – Read more HERE
  • Success! Hungarian university moves up two places in new ranking

Featured image: Corvinus University Budapest

Dangerously addictive narcotic conquering Hungary

Dangerously addictive narcotic conquering Hungary

Kratom is not forbidden in Hungary, but it spreads quickly as it is sold as a tea. However, the sellers do not add that it causes serious addiction.

According to atv.hu, you can order kratom on the internet because it is still legal in Hungary. It is sold as a tea, vendor descriptions regularly advertise it as something similar to coffee. János Szemelyácz, a Hungarian addictologist, told ATV that it was not by chance kratom had been banned in several countries. If somebody gets used to it, it will be almost impossible to put it down.

In Hungary, it is merchandised as powder or capsules. The addictologist believes it is dangerous because it causes opioid withdrawal symptoms since it has a strong tranquiliser effect.

Read also:

  • Historic drug bust in Budapest: it was enough for half the population – VIDEO and more HERE
  • Irish boy overdosed because of a Hungarian pharmacist

 

Irish boy overdosed because of a Hungarian pharmacist

The list of medicines in short supply is becoming longer.

An Irish boy was hospitalised because of a medication error when a pharmacist of Hungarian origin gave his mother ten times the dose of antibiotics prescribed by his doctor.

According to the Irish Mirror, a four-year-old Irish boy was hospitalised overnight after being given ten times the dose of antibiotics prescribed by his doctor.

After the incident, the child’s mother sued the pharmacy from which she bought the antibiotic. The Irish Pharmaceutical Society subsequently launched an investigation into the case.

Investigations revealed that the overdose was the result of an error by a pharmacist of Hungarian origin. Andrea Pálfi did not write the dosage instructions on the product or warn the mother verbally that the antibiotic she was dispensing was ten times the prescribed dose.

Following the incident, Andrea Pálfi admitted that she had made a mistake and apologised to those involved. The pharmaceutical company said that it accepts the apology, and since Andrea Pálfi had never made a mistake in her job before the incident, she will not be banned from her work as a pharmacist, index.hu reports.

Read also:

Hungarian record! More drugs have never been caught in our country

Bahart Danube

Police found an extremely large quantity of suspected drugs in a boat on the Danube in Hungary.

According to hvg.hu, authorities found a record amount of drugs on the Danube in Budapest.

Last Saturday, police found drugs of unknown origin hidden in the floor of a boat in the free port of Csepel. The suspected drugs are being examined at the National Centre for Expertise and Research’s Institute for Drugs Research.

The Budapest Police Headquarters has ordered an investigation against an unknown perpetrator in connection with the suspected drug substance found in Csepel on 11 November, and the seized substance is being examined by experts. “In view of the interests of the ongoing investigation, no further information can be provided at this time,” the BRFK said.

A year ago the police had a big catch. A worker noticed that the roof of a container shipped from Ecuador had been damaged. When they went to weld it, they noticed that there were suspicious packages inside. The police investigated and found 71 packages weighing one kilogram.

Fidesz politician calls for preventing humanitarian disaster in Chad

Azbej Tristan

Hungary’s government has recognised that because the situation in central Africa impacts the future of the whole of Europe, everything possible must be done to prevent a humanitarian disaster in Chad, the state secretary responsible for aiding persecuted Christians said on Wednesday.

Tristan Azbej said in a Facebook video from Chad that he had joined the Hungary Helps humanitarian programme’s medical mission in the central African country involving doctors, health professionals, humanitarian operations managers and agriculture experts looking for ways to help the people living there and contribute to the country’s stability.

Armed conflicts are everyday occurrences in Chad’s neighbourhood, Azbej said, noting the civil war in Sudan and the recent military coup in Niger.

Chad, as the last remaining stable country in the region, is seeing an influx of people seeking safety for themselves and their families, the state secretary said, adding that about a third of the people in the country were in need of humanitarian aid given the ongoing problems related to medical care.

The members of the Hungarian medical mission provide them and the communities taking them in the care they need, Azbej said.

The humanitarian operations managers provide training for the local authorities who are in charge of caring for more than a million refugees, while the agriculture experts are exploring ways to make use of Hungarian irrigation technologies in a country battling desertification, a severe food crisis and child malnutrition, he said.

If the situation in Chad turned into a humanitarian disaster, it would trigger a migration wave towards Europe, including Hungary, Azbej said.

The Hungarian humanitarian mission in Chad seeks to find ways for Hungary to contribute to the country’s stability and prevent the humanitarian crisis there from escalating into a disaster, he added.

Many Hungarian pharmacies can cease operation due to the government

More than 4,100 pharmacists are protesting against the government’s plan to allow pharmacists with a secondary school degree to work in certain drugstores instead of a university degree. The cabinet says this will protect rural drugstores, but opponents say the measure could lead to the disappearance of pharmacists from smaller towns.

The fact is that the anti-pharmacy government wants to create a huge chain, so that the winner of the planned privatisation of hospital pharmacies can then break up the pharmaceutical market, Válasz Online reports in their latest big-picture writing.

Discontent among the pharmacists

In recent years, even big city pharmacies have become specialised pick-up points. Specialised because in that place, a qualified pharmacist worker or pharmacist’s assistant orders the customer back the next day when the special package arrives. The only difference between this kind of pharmacy and a small village drugstore branch is that in the latter, the patient is guaranteed to be served by a pharmacist.

The government is preparing to reform the pharmacy system. Now, a debate has erupted over draft legislation on whether 620 pharmacies in small villages should have a qualified pharmacist. 4147 pharmacists say they should: that’s how many have signed the protest petition.

Hungary pharmacy run out of medicine
Photo: facebook.com/BENUgyogyszertar

This amount of signatures out of 6300 pharmacists in the country suggests that it is not only the villagers who are demanding for the legislation to be amended. But what have urban pharmacists and especially patients in big cities got to do with it? A lot, actually: pharmacy without a pharmacist would set a dangerous precedent. That drugstore would be much cheaper to run.

Hungarian government remits the countryside

Hungary’s population decline has hit some of the larger cities and their surroundings, as well as rural areas and remote small towns. Since the turn of the millennium, more than 600,000 fewer people live in the country. Meanwhile, the rules for establishing pharmacies were liberalised in 2006. Within four years, the number of pharmacies serving the population has increased by 22%. The government seems to be letting go of the shrinking countryside. Under the pretext of centralisation, it is closing local public services and relocating residents to nearby cities. Attempts are being made to introduce the ‘telepathic method’ in pharmacies.

According to a draft law, a pharmacist with a secondary school degree should be enough to serve patients in branch pharmacies instead of a pharmacist with a university degree, and a pharmacist should be reachable by phone within 15 minutes.

The real business, however, is not the networking of branches. The big deal is the privatisation of institutional pharmacies and their probable transfer to a single company.

In this way, the 80 or so hospital pharmacies could become a network of networks. According to Bálint Mikola, president of the Hungarian Private Pharmacists Association, this small number of pharmacies will take 30 percent of the market, with the remaining 70 percent shared by more than two thousand institutions.

Read also: Drug tax increased, medicines to disappear from Hungarian pharmacies

Charges brought against Hungarian drug dealer arrested in Montenegro — VIDEO

Police drug

Prosecutors have brought charges against a Hungarian drug dealer who was arrested in Montenegro on an international warrant, the Budapest chief prosecutor’s office said on Monday.

The 35-year-old man was dealing in drugs in Budapest and the city’s vicinity and was helped by several accomplices, the office said in a statement.

In a raid at a garage in Budapest, police officers seized 80 kilos of marijuana in January 2021. To escape arrest, the drug dealer went into hiding abroad and was arrested several months later in Montenegro, the prosecutor’s office said.

Charges have been pressed against 12 suspects and include dealing in commercial amounts of illicit drugs, abuse of new psychoactive substances and other crimes.

Watch the police video!

Italian man causes disturbing scene at petrol station near M7 motorway in Hungary

mol petrol station hungary fuel prices diesel KazMunayGas

The Fonyód District Prosecutor’s Office has brought an Italian man to court in an accelerated procedure. The man caused disturbance among the people at a petrol station near the M7 motorway. The incident happened in July.

In July this year, the accused was travelling with his girlfriend from Italy to Romania. They stopped at a petrol station near Balatonlelle, Hungary. The car was driven by the woman, who, after they both got out, locked the car and headed for the toilet, Index reports.

The man, who had previously taken drugs, noticed that he had left his cigarettes in the car while waiting. He got angry and stormed into the ladies’ room, where he kicked the doors in search of his partner while shouting loudly.

The woman was very scared. So when her partner went out of the bathroom, she went to the staff for help. The employees hid the woman in the petrol station office while they called the police.

Meanwhile, the man, still shouting, returned to the shop. Pushing aside the people in the queue, he began to bang his fist on the shop counter, only to leave when the person behind the counter told him to.

The aggressive man was finally dealt with by the Fonyód police. The Fonyód District Court sentenced the accused to a fine on the recommendation of the prosecutor’s office, according to a press release from the Somogy County Prosecutor’s Office.