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Table 2.3 How do school-goers procure their cannabis Survey year 2007
Method of procurement 12-15 years 16-17 years 18 years Total
B G B G B G B G Total
I never buy it 29% 41% 35% 46% 15% 17% 30% 42% 35%
Coffee shop 39% 22% 45% 42% 82% 67% 46% 31% 40%
From a dealer’s house 24% 11% 18% 6% 14% 35% 20% 10% 16%
Someone else’s house 12% 11% 9% 12% 3% 0% 10% 11% 10%
At or near school 14% 13% 10% 3% 3% 0% 11% 9% 10%
On the street, park etc. 28% 12% 19% 2% 11% 19% 23% 9% 18%
Bar 3% 3% 2% 1% 3% 0% 2% 2% 2%
Discotheque 4% 2% 3% 1% 3% 0% 3% 2% 3%
Youth café or
community centre
1% 1% 2% 0% 0% 0% 1% 1% 1%
Youth centre 4% 2% 1% 0% 3% 0% 3% 1% 2%
Other 1% 1% 1% 1% 0% 0% 1% 1% 1%
School-goers aged 12 to 18 of Dutch secondary schools (current users). Respondents could tick more than
one answer. Therefore the percentages do not add up to 100. B = boys; G = girls. Source: Dutch National
School Survey, Trimbos Institute.
Schools for special education
In 2008, The Trimbos Institute, together with the University of Utrecht, conducted a study
on substance use among over 2,600 pupils aged between 12 and 18 attending schools
for special education (Kepper et al., 2009). These are schools affiliated to a Regional
Expertise Centre (known as REC-4 schools. Pupils attending these schools may have
severe learning or behavioural difficulties, a long-term illness with psychiatric problems; or
they may be attending schools affiliated to a Pedagogical Institute. Other groups receive
practical education (pro) or support education (lwoo)). The results for the 12-16 year age
group were compared with those of a 2007 survey conducted in a peer group of pupils
in mainstream secondary schools (vmbo without lwoo; havo and vwo).
• Pupils attending REC-4 schools have by far the most experience of cannabis use. This
applies to all age groups. Over half of the 16 year olds had ever tried cannabis (table
2.4). Incidentally, pupils attending REC-4 schools account for only one to two percent
of all secondary school pupils (see Appendix F).
• Among 12-13 year-olds and 14-15 year-olds in practical education (pro) or support
education (lwoo), the percentages of ever users are comparable to those in mainstream
schools. Among 16-year olds, ever use of cannabis is actually lower than in
mainstream schools, particularly among pupils in practical education.
• The percentage of current cannabis users is also highest among pupils attending
REC-4 schools. In the other types of education, the differences in use were small.
• On average current cannabis users of both REC-4 and practical schools smoke three
joints per incident. For the lwoo schools the average is two joints, and in mainstream
schools it is 1.5 joints among 14-15 year-olds and one joint among 16-year olds.
40 Netherlands National Drug Monitor - NDM Annual Report 2009