Tough Drug Law Shows Results One Month after Implementation

MTI-Hungary Today 2025.07.16.

The toughest anti-drug legislation ever came into force a month ago, the government commissioner responsible for eradicating drug trafficking said in a video statement on Tuesday.

László Horváth noted that the laws were created to protect children and young people from drug dealers and to assist the work of the police and law enforcement agencies. Drug dealers and distributors face confiscation of assets, long prison sentences, bans, and mandatory community service, he emphasized. Over 4,500 criminal proceedings have been initiated since the beginning of March, and the amount of drugs, money, and movable property seized is increasing day by day, the government commissioner detailed.

Thanks to extensive investigative work, not only simple drug dealers but also serious international criminal networks are now being caught,

he said.

“There will be no compromise, and we cannot make any concessions to the drug industry,” Horváth emphasized. He said that there is no difference between expensive luxury drugs and cheap designer drugs, because organized crime is behind all drug trafficking and distribution. “There is zero tolerance,” he stressed. The government will continue to refuse to allow children to be poisoned and young people to be ruined for the sake of financial gain, the government commissioner noted, adding that the crackdown will commence.

Fact

The new anti-drug law took effect on June 15, 2025, although its path through Parliament was marked by sharp debate. During the session, opposition politicians questioned the bill’s balance, criticizing its almost exclusive reliance on criminal penalties while neglecting prevention and treatment. Fidesz MP Horváth, one of the authors of the bill, defended the bill as a necessary shield for society, and argued that the immediate removal of drugs from public spaces must be the first step. However, he admitted that while he considers prevention and rehabilitation important, they are not included in the current package.

An important change in the law is that distributing new psychoactive substances is no longer a misdemeanor but a crime. In addition, upon conviction, police can immediately seize drug dealers’ assets, equipment, and any movable property or real estate (such as cars and apartments) even if they are registered under someone else’s name, provided they were used for drug trafficking and distribution. Under the new law, police also have the right to detain people found in a state of altered consciousness in public places for up to 72 hours, particularly if they are seriously harassing others or disturbing public peace. Individuals convicted of drug-related crimes for a second time cannot be released on parole. This means that repeat offenders cannot receive leniency.

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Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Szigetváry Zsolt