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RESEARCH AND PRACTICE: Zsigmond Kósa, György Széles, László Kardos, Karolina Kósa, Renáta Németh, Sándor Országh, Gabriella Fésüs, Martin McKee, Róza Ádány, and Zoltán Vokó A Comparative Health Survey of the Inhabitants of Roma Settlements in Hungary Am J Public Health 2007; 97: 853-859 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

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Roma drug use in Hungary

Jozsef Racz   (1 May 2007)

Roma drug use in Hungary 1 May 2007
Jozsef Racz, psychiatrist Institute for Psychology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences Send letter to journal: Re: Roma drug use in Hungary raczj{at}mtapi.hu Jozsef Racz	The health disparities in Roma populations are also evident with regard to drug use. Unfortunately, the only Roma-specific drug study in Hungary that I am aware of was not published in a peer reviewed journal. That study, by Ildiko Ritter of the National Institute of Criminology, was carried out in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, in 2005 (1). It utilized the snowball sampling method. Only people who self-identified as Roma were interviewed. The sample consisted of individuals 12 to 30 years of age (n=598). The lifetime prevalence of illegal drugs (plus inhalants) was 50.8%. The most prevalent drugs used were amphetamines, marijuana, and heroin (among drug users their prevalences were 90%, 78%, and 16%, respectively). Because in Budapest, Hungary there were not similar studies conducted on the general population, we can only compare these data with other survey data (2, 3). A school survey of 16 to 17 year old students (2) showed a 48% lifetime prevalence of illegal drugs (including inhalants). The most widely used drugs were marijuana (45%), Ecstasy (13%), and amphetamines (12%). The heroin lifetime prevalence was 1%. Another study (3) was carried out in a representative sample of the general population ages 18 to 65 years in 2001. From this study, the lifetime prevalence of illegal drug use was 20% for participants ages 18 to 19 years and 13% for participants ages 25 to 29 years. According to Ritter (1), it is not valid to compare her data with data from other studies on drug use in Hungary because of methodological differences. We thus cannot confirm whether or not there is higher drug use among the Roma population in Budapest or higher use of heroin among them than in the general population. Another important finding from Ritter's study (1) was that two socially excluded Roma settlements were identified in Budapest: one where inhabitants used mostly heroin and one where amphetamine use was widespread. While similar prevalences of drug use were not found in other studies in Budapest, it is impossible to rule out methodological differences. These findings nonetheless highlight the need for specific public health and substance abuse treatment interventions targeting Roma drug users. Ritter I: The Roma youth and the drug (in Hungarian). Foundation for Healthy Youth Foundation and the National Institute of Criminology, Budapest, unpublished manuscript. 2005. Elekes Zs and Paksi B: Alcohol and drug use of the 11-12th grade secondary student in Budapest, in 2005 (in Hungarian). Addiktologia 2004 3,3:308-330. Paksi B and Elekes Zs: The alcohol and drug use of the Hungarian adult population (in Hungarian). Budapest University of Economy, 2001, unpublished manuscript. 2001.