Communicating the principle of ‘treatment instead of punishment’ in Hungary on the basis of an examination of the patients at a drug outpatient clinic

Abstract

Aims: Drug use is an indictable offence in Hungary, but there is an opportunity to suspend the criminal proceedings if a small quantity of drugs is involved. However, the principle of ‘treatment instead of punishment’ (TIP) is heavily disputed in the professional literature. This study addresses the impact of the legal implementation of TIP on the practices of an institution that treats drug patients.Methods: Data were analysed on the basis of addiction severity index (ASI) interviews conducted with individuals (n = 628) who applied for treatment at a Budapest drug outpatient clinic between 2001 and 2005. The ASIs of individuals who chose TIP were compared with those of other drug patients using cluster analysis and a two-sample statistical t-test.Findings: After 2003, when the criminal law changed, the share of participants in TIP increased from 24% to 72.6%. Approximately, half the sample required treatment but did not have any problems. From 2003, the share of patients ‘without problems’ who chose TIP was high (60%).Conclusions: A modification of the TIP framework is justified for Hungary's criminal administration policy, which should consider the severity of the condition of the person utilizing the service in connection with drug use.