Netherlands National Drug Monitor - Research and Documentation ...

Figure 7.3 Heavy drinkers by gender and age among people aged 12 and older. Survey year 2008
45
%
40
35
37
30
25
24
26
20
15
10
5
17
17
15
14 14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
2
1
0
12-17 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 >74 Total
Males Females Total
Age
Percentage of people who drink six units of alcohol on one or more days per week. Source: POLS, Statistics
Netherlands (CBS), StatLine.
Problem drinking
Problem drinkers are people who not only drink above a certain level, but also experience
problems caused by their alcohol consumption.
• In 2003 10% of the Dutch population aged between 16 and 69 were problem drinkers,
with more male problem drinkers (17%) than female (4%) (Van Dijck & Knibbe,
2005).
• Problem drinking is most prevalent in the 16-24 age group, where 34% of males and
9% of females are problem drinkers.
• Of the problem drinkers recorded in 2003, a year later almost half (46%) were still
problem drinkers. This means that over half of this group no longer meet the criteria
for problem drinking (Van Dijck & Knibbe, 2005).
• The severity of the alcohol-related problems as well as age and gender are the main
factors which determine whether problem drinkers are still categorised as such after
one year. The likelihood of remaining a problem drinker increases with the severity of
the problems and is greatest among younger age groups and males.
• Of those measured who were not problem drinkers in 2003, two percent had developed
a problem with alcohol by 2004.
156 Netherlands National Drug Monitor - NDM Annual Report 2009