Marijuana most frequently used drug in Slovakia

The most commonly used illegal drug in Slovakia is marijuana, followed by methamphetamine and cocaine, Tomas Jakabovič from the National Anti-drug unit of the National Crime Agency (NAKA) told the TASR press agency on Monday. According to him, marijuana is also the most frequently used illegal drug in Europe because when it is grown indoors, its producers can harvest it up to four times a year. On the other hand, the occurrence of hashish is rather rare, as its use in Slovakia doesn't have a tradition. The second most commonly used drug in Slovakia is methamphetamine. "As a matter of fact, meth is almost a cultural feature in the Czech Republic and Slovakia", said Jakabovič. Third place is occupied by cocaine, which is commonly known as a drug of the rich and therefore it is much more expensive. Heroin use is on the decline in recent years, according to Jakabovič, but there are new psychoactive and synthetic substitutes coming to the Slovak market. "These substances have been here for only a few years. It's a risk that mainly young people have to be warned about", said Jakabovič, without giving any more details. It is not possible to put some of these substances on the banned substances list, as they have legitimate uses either in the chemical or pharmaceutical sectors.