Like popcorn

28 years ago, at 17, I bought my first illegal thing. I became a complete outlaw, which seemed to be one of the keys to growing up.

My man was in his thirties, slightly overweight, with long hair and a Metallica T-shirt. He was carrying about 50 grams of diced black Afghan hashish. He pulled it out of the bag like popcorn. He sat in the cafe, sipping his espresso and serving customers.

A short time later, a close friend told me: “The man has been arrested and sentenced to at least two years in prison”. I was shocked to be so close to such a thing.

Adventures in the vortex

I was born and grew up in the beautiful city of Budapest. In the early 90s, the suburbs of Budapest offered many of us amphetamines, MDMA, LSD, cannabis, heroin and mushrooms. It all came down to one question: how strong was the little bag of something we could get our hands on?

In search of new experiences, I sought a kind of self-medication in the world of psychedelics. Most weekends of my youth I had some kind of extraordinary experience. And of course there was love, friendship, adventure and discovery in abundance.

Our ignorance skyrocketed. The internet had not even been invented yet, and reliable information was only available from dealers. If you got into an unexpected situation, we had no idea how to call for help, because besides medical assistance, we had to expect a police presence.

The criminalisation of consumers made it inconceivable that anyone would dare to ask for help in an emergency. With the right legal framework, the damage could be reduced.

Uncertain ingredients

Since 2010, ingredients of uncertain origin have been coming from Chinese laboratories. The new substances have slammed the door on people living in extreme poverty. The cheapness of the new psychoactive substances has led to the closure of pubs in small Hungarian towns.

Marginalised, undereducated minorities are the ones who consume these drugs. The experience of escape is the key moment in these consumption patterns. Even for 20 minutes, leaving poverty behind is not a bad idea. Who knows? Many would join if there were an affordable, better alternative.

Providing information in an information vacuum is no easy task. Building successful communication channels is a complex task and requires creativity. The postman could also attach a leaflet to suspicious packages. Could this be harm reduction? It could.

Shared responsibility.

To prevent violence in pubs, some pubs in Ireland play quiet music for customers and put peanuts on every table. What a simple harm reduction solution. Isn’t it?

As well as public health campaigns about a sugar-free lifestyle or the importance of exercise, there must be room for campaigns to reduce the harm caused by drugs.

Knowing the pitfalls can help us avoid trouble. It is in our common interest to recognise these dangers, speak out and reduce them where possible. There is no such thing as a good or not so good area for harm reduction. All areas seem to be appropriate to put in the work for a healthier society.