Answering the call to participate in the 2014 Global Day of Action against the war on drugs, held on June 26, the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union's Drugreporter launched its “Room in the 8th District” campaign. The aim of the campaign is to educate and mobilize the public, and specifically residents of Budapest’s 8thtdistrict, to support innovative harm reduction solutions as alternatives to criminalization.

The campaign enlisted the help of web and media specialists to create a film and website and maintain public pressure around the issue in an attempt to keep it on the political agenda.

Clean needle exchange under political pressure

Since 2006, the non-governmental organization Blue Point has been providing clean needles and syringes to injection drug users in Budapest’s 8th district, one of the most marginalized and impoverished areas of the city. This program reached more than 3,000 users and was one of the few operational measures to combat HIV transmission among drug users, but it was shut down after pressure from the local mayor.

The mayor has been meeting with residents in an effort to convince them that the solution to the drug problem in the district is to shut needle exchange programs, which he says attract the addicts. Our aim is to convince people that this solution is more, not less, harmful.

Fake demons instead of real health threats

There is a significant disconnect between the real public health threats of drugs and the threats the public perceives. An example of this is citizens being more concerned about drug litter on the street than drug users sharing injection equipment. The possibility of a passerby being infected by touching a used needle on the street is minimal, whereas the risk of transmission through the sharing of injection equipment is great.

“Room in the 8th District” must stress the benefits of harm reduction services in order to appeal to a larger audience. The issues residents most often complain about – drug litter, unofficial “shooting galleries” where users inject themselves, often openly, and the general nuisance and noise caused by street users – are all problems that are targeted by the “Room in the 8th District” solution: a safe, hygienic environment for drug users to inject their drugs, using sterile equipment, under supervision. This is the “Room in the 8th District,” a place that makes the situation safer for users and non-users alike.

Online and offline support by citizens

“Room in the 8th District” has created a website to communicate its message to the media in several ways, including the campaign’s video. The website encourages people to sign an online petition that addresses decision makers in the local, municipal and national governments with strategies and techniques for creating a better situation for both users and non-users. 2,000 people signed the online petition during the first week of the campaign, and the number of signatories now exceeds 5,400.

The campaign’s twenty-minute video features drug users, professionals, and local residents discussing the situation in Budapest’s 8th district. Through interviews with people in and around the neighborhood, the video does not attempt to gloss over the fears and problems of local residents, but instead attempts to understand them and investigate possible solutions and outcomes beneficial to everyone.

Campaign at work

The “Room in the 8th District” campaign held a public event in Budapest on June 26, during which the movie was screened and discussions were held on the issues presented in the film and the other work of the campaign. The campaign has also been publicized through Hungarian media, including the website 444.hu and on television stations. The campaign put up posters around the city that read, “Use your signature to support a city free from drug litter.”

Future outlook

The “Room in the 8th District” campaign was launched in a very hostile political environment, where support for a clean, hygienic place for drug users does not seem the most favorable or easiest solution to many people. The government, through the Ministry of Human Resources, has said that it remains committed to finding a harm reduction solution, but does not support the opening of an injection site. Despite the government’s response, the campaign has been highly successful at raising awareness, generating media attention and increasing public discussion on the issues.