Transition from “old” injected drugs to mephedrone in an urban micro segregate in Budapest, Hungary: a qualitative analysis

Abstract

Social micro segregates are spatial, geographical organizations within the city of Budapest, Hungary. Drug transition was studied in a specific micro segregate which was characterised by social marginalization, inhabitants with low economic background and dense injecting drugs user community. The members of this community changed their drugs use from “old” drugs (heroin, amphetamines) to new, “designer” drugs when they have appeared in the country in 2010. The transition was studied with qualitative interviews, where the effect of the memebrship in the micro segregate as a special injecting risk environment was conceived. Data from life narrative interviews with 17 mephedrone users were collected. Data underline the supply driven drug transitions took place in this special geographic area and risk environment. The new, more harmful injecting drug use pattern was explained by the characteristics of the micro segregate. Results raise attention to public health consequences of drug transition and to the importance of the proper public health and urban planning policies.

• Geographical segregation
• Hungary
• injecting drug use
• mephedrone
• qualitative research

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Ferenc Dávid, Menyhért Fátyol and Roland Gyékiss for their help in conducting the interviews.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.