Cannabis use among young people and school-goers is on the decline, but treatment demand continues to rise. This is the conclusion of the 2010 Annual Report of the National Drug Monitor (NDM).
The rise in demand for treatment and in the number of incidents involving GHB indicate the growing popularity of this substance. 0.4% of the general population had used GHB in the past year. This makes the substance as popular as amphetamine, but less popular than ecstasy, which is used three times as much. Ecstasy use in the Netherlands is above the European average. The NDM Annual Report also reveals that the number of hard drug-related crimes registered with the police and the courts has declined, while soft drug-related offences occur relatively more often.
Cannabis: decline among school-goers; rise in treatment demand
The decline in the percentage of current cannabis users among school-goers in mainstream secondary education that was established between 1996 and 2007 continued in 2009. 5% of 12-16 year-old school-goers were cannabis users, irrespective of education level.
In the general population, one in every four Dutch citizens has tried a joint. One in 25 uses cannabis; of this group, 30% smoke a joint (nearly) every day. In terms of population numbers, this is a total of 141,000 people aged between 15 and 64. The number of cannabis clients in addiction care continues to rise: from 3,534 in 2000 to 8,863 in 2009. In 2009, general hospitals registered over 500 admissions involving cannabis use; in one fifth of cases, psychosis was the reason for admission.
GHB: rise in health incidents
In 2009 1.3% of the population aged between 15 and 64 had tried GHB, and 0.4% had used the substance during the past year. The number of current GHB users is estimated at 22,000 - the same as the number of amphetamine users. Because GHB is difficult to dose accurately, the risk of an overdose is large - often leading to loss of consciousness. According to the Drugs Incidents Monitor, GHB was involved in one fifth of registered drug-related incidents in 2010, either alone or in combination with alcohol or other drugs. Almost half of these cases required hospitalisation.
Ecstasy: percentage of users in the upper echelons of the EU table
In 2009 1.4% of Dutch citizens aged between 15 and 64 had used ecstasy during the past year. This means the percentage of recent users is above the European average of 0.8%. High percentages of users are found among juveniles and young adults in the social scene; after cannabis, ecstasy is the most popular drug in this group. Nonetheless, treatment demand for addiction care is limited; less than one percent of all drug clients has a primary ecstasy problem. The low price of ecstasy pills and the increase of the average concentration of the active ingredient (MDMA) in 2010 indicate plentiful availability of ingredients for ecstasy production, after a dip in 2009.
Alcohol: fresh increase in hospitalisations among juveniles
In 2009 a total of 34,646 individuals with a primary alcohol problem were registered with the addiction care services; this is roughly the same number as in 2007 and 2008 but 40% more than in 2002. The increase is most marked among the over 55s. In 2009 nearly a quarter of alcohol clients were in this age group.
In 2009 general hospitals registered 5,908 admissions with alcohol problems as the main diagnosis, and 12,459 with alcohol problems as a secondary diagnosis. This represents a reduction on 2009. Among minors aged 16 or under, the number of alcohol-related admissions (both main and secondary diagnoses) rose relentlessly, reaching 887 cases in 2009. This represents a 25% increase compared to 2008.
More information: Marjan Heuving
