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The Netherlands Drug Situation 2009 the Netherlands Drug Situation 2009 Margriet van Laar, Guus Cruts, André van Gageldonk, Marianne van Ooyen-Houben, Esther Croes, Ronald Meijer, Toine Ketelaars The Netherlands Drug Situation 2009 The Netherlands Drug Situation 2009 Report to the EMCDDA by the Reitox National Focal Point Each year, the National Focal Points in the Member States of the European Union report on the drug situation in their countries. These National Reports are prepared according to the guidelines issued by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). The National Reports represent the basic input for the “Annual Report on the State of the Drugs Problem in the European Union” compiled by the EMCDDA. In keeping with the guidelines, the National Reports focus on new developments in the reporting year. This 2009 National Report for the Netherlands was prepared by the staff of the Bureau of the National Drug Monitor (NDM) at the Trimbos Institute and the staff of the Scientific Research and Documentation Centre (WODC) of the Ministry of Justice. The NDM was established in 1999 on the initiative of the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport (VWS). The Ministry of Justice also participates in the NDM. To carry out the functions of the Netherlands National Focal Point, the NDM relies on the contribution of a multitude of experts and input from registration systems and monitors throughout the Netherlands. 1 2 3 20 20 www.trimbos.nl ISBN: 978-90-5253-671-2 09 09 Margriet van Laar, Guus Cruts, André van Gageldonk, Marianne van Ooyen-Houben, Esther Croes, Ronald Meijer, Toine Ketelaars The Netherlands Drug Situation 2009 Report to the EMCDDA by the Reitox National Focal Point Trimbos instituut, Utrecht, 2010 Colophon This National Report was supported by grants from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS), and the Ministry of Justice. This report was written by Margriet van Laar1 Guus Cruts1 André van Gageldonk1 Marianne van Ooyen-Houben2 Esther Croes1 Ronald Meijer2 Toine Ketelaars1 1 Trimbos Institute (Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction). 2 Scientific Research and Documentation Centre (WODC), Ministry of Justice. Production Coordinator Joris Staal Lay-out Ladenius Communicatie bv. Design cover and print Ladenius Communciatie bv. Article number: AF0947 ISBN: 978-90-5253-671-2 To access this report as a pdf document: Go to www.trimbos.nl/webwinkel Or go to www.wodc.nl © 2010 Trimbos Institute, Utrecht All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied or published in any form or in any way, without prior written permission from the Trimbos Institute. Members of the Scientific Committee of the Netherlands National Drug Monitor (NDM) Mr. prof. dr. H.G. van de Bunt, Erasmus University Rotterdam Mr. prof. dr. H.F.L. Garretsen, Tilburg University (chair) Mr. prof. dr. R.A. Knibbe, Maastricht University Mr. dr. M.W.J. Koeter, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research (AIAR) Mr. prof. dr. D.J. Korf, Bonger Institute of Criminology, University of Amsterdam Ms. prof. dr. H. van de Mheen, Addiction Research Institute Rotterdam (IVO) Mr. dr. C.G. Schoemaker, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) Mr. A.W. Ouwehand, Organization Care Information Systems (IVZ) Observers Ms. mr. R. Muradin, Ministry of Justice Ms. drs. W.M. de Zwart, Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport Additional consultants Mr. dr. M.C.A. Buster, Municipal Health Service Amsterdam (GGD Amsterdam) Ms. E.H.B.M.A. Hoekstra, Ministry of Justice Ms. J.P. de Quartel, Ministry of Justice Trimbos Institute 3 Preface The Report on the Drug Situation in the Netherlands 2009 has been written for the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). Each year, national centres of expertise on drug-related issues in the member states of the Euro- pean Union (‘Focal Points’) draw up a report on their respective national drugs situation, according to guidelines provided by the EMCDDA. These reports form the basis of the “Annual Report on the State of the Drug Problem in the European Union” compiled by the EMCDDA. In keeping with the guidelines, the report focuses on new developments in the reporting year. In order to avoid too much overlap, the reader is repeatedly referred to previous National Reports. This 2009 national report was written by the staff of the Bureau of the Netherlands National Drug Monitor (NDM) at the Trimbos Institute and staff of the Scientific Research and Documentation Centre (WODC) of the Ministry of Justice. The NDM was established in 1999 on the initiative of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. The Ministry of Justice also participates in the NDM. The NDM carries out the functions of the Netherlands Focal Point. The NDM relies on the contribution of a multitude of experts and input from registration systems and monitors in the Netherlands. In particular, the authors would like to thank the members of the Scientific Committee of the NDM and other expert reviewers for their valuable comments on the draft version of the report. Trimbos Institute 5 Table of contents Part A: New Developments and Trends 17 1 Drug policy: legislation, strategies and economic analysis 19 1.1 Legal framework 19 1.2 National action plan, strategy, evaluation and coordination 23 1.3 Economic analysis 29 2 Drug use in the population 31 2.1 Drug use in the general population 31 2.2 Drug use in the school and youth populations 33 2.3 Drug use among specific groups 37 3 Prevention 43 New developments and trends regarding policies and interventions 43 3.1 Universal prevention 44 3.2 Selective and indicated prevention 46 4 Problem drug use and the treatment demand population 51 4.1 Prevalence estimates 51 4.2 Data on PDUs from non-treatment sources 56 4.3 Intensive or frequent patterns of use 58 5 Drug-related treatment 61 5.1 Strategy/policy and new developments 61 5.2 Treatment systems 61 5.3 Characteristics and trends of clients in treatment 70 6 Health correlates and consequences 77 6.1 Drug-related infectious diseases 77 6.2 Other drug-related morbidity 87 6.3 Drug-related deaths and mortality among drug users 91 7 Responses to health correlates and consequences 97 7.1 Prevention of drug-related emergencies and drug-related deaths 97 7.2 Prevention and treatment of drug-related infectious diseases 98 7.3 Responses to other health correlates among drug users 100 Trimbos Institute 7 8 Social correlates and consequences 103 8.1 Social exclusion 103 8.2 Social reintegration 104 9 Drug related crime, prevention of drug related crime and prison 109 9.1 Drug related crime 109 9.2 Prevention of drug related crime 118 9.3 Interventions in the criminal justice system 119 9.4 Drug use and problem drug use in prison 123 9.5 Responses to drug related health issues 124 9.6 New developments 124 10 Drug markets 127 10.1 Availability and supply 127 10.2 Seizures 130 10.3 Price/purity 131 Part B: Selected issues 139 11 Cannabis markets and cultivation 141 11.1 Market 141 11.2 Seizures 150 11.3 Offences 153 11.4 New developments 155 12 Problem amphetamine and methamphetamine use, related consequences and response 157 12.1 Epidemiology of amphetamine and methamphetamine use with emphasis on chronic/intensive use 157 12.2 Overview of health and social correlates of chronic amphetamine and methamphetamine use 164 12.3 Responses to chronic amphetamine and methamphetamine use 167 13 Bibliography 167 13.1 References 167 13.2 Alphabetic list of relevant data bases 181 13.3 List of relevant internet addresses 185 8 Trimbos Institute 14 Annexes 189 14.1 List of tables used in the text 189 14.2 List of graphs used in the text 190 List of abbreviations used in the text 193 Map of the Netherlands: provinces and major cities 197 Trimbos Institute 9 Summary Developments in drug law and policies In preparation of the new Dutch drug policy white paper, the Dutch drug policy of the past thirty years has been evaluated, and a ‘drug risk ranking’ study and a risk assessment of cannabis were performed. These studies aimed to support the Advisory Committee on Drugs Policy, which made recommendations for improvements to drug policy, as requested by the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport, the Minister of Justice and the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Affairs. Following publication of these reports on 2 July, 2009, a letter outlining Dutch drug policy was published on 11 September 2009 taking the recommendations of the Advisory Committee into account. The most important proposals for changing the drug policy are: use of drugs and alcohol by minors must be tackled far more rigorously; coffee shops should become points of sale for local users only; more consistent measures against organized crime are needed. The classification system used in the Opium Act will be reviewed. This proposal will be discussed in the first quarter of 2010 in the House of Representatives, before a more comprehensive policy document will be drafted. On 1 December 2008 all hallucinogenic mushrooms were put on Schedule II of the Opium Act. Developments in drug use and related problems Drug use Drug use in the general population remained generally stable between 2001 and 2005. Data for 2009 are not yet available. Drug use among pupils (12-18 years) from regular secondary schools generally stabilised between 2003 and 2007, although the overall trend since 1996 is decreasing. In 2007, last month prevalence of cannabis use was 8% (6% for girls and 10% for boys). Last month prevalence rates for other drugs were below 1%.
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