Netherlands National Drug Monitor - Research and Documentation ...

Special groups
In certain groups of juveniles and young adults, the rate of cocaine use is high. Table
3.3 contains a summary of the results of various, often local, studies. The data are
not easy to compare, on account of differences in age groups and research methods.
Furthermore, the response rate is often low in surveys conducted among socialising
juveniles and young adults, which can lead to a distortion of the results. Trend data are
available only for Amsterdam.
Socialising juveniles and young adults
• Cocaine is relatively popular among juveniles and young adults in the social scene.
However, it is also often used in private settings (Benschop et al., 2009; Van der Poel,
2009).
• In Amsterdam, the percentage of ever-users of cocaine among clubbers dropped
between 2003 and 2008 from 39 to 33 percent. However, current users remained
stable at 14% (Benschop et al., 2009). This drop chiefly concerns snorting cocaine.
Key observers in the Amsterdam social scene reported a stabilisation of cocaine’s
popularity in 2008. However, use appears to be less and less restricted to the weekends.
• In 2008/2009 substance use was surveyed among those attending 11 national and
regionally organised parties and festivals (Trimbos Institute/University of Amsterdam,
2010). It was found that:
- 12% of the attendees were current cocaine users.
- 5% had used cocaine during the evening itself; however this percentage varied
considerable between events (range: 0.6% to 15%). An average of 0.6grams of
cocaine was taken during the event. Cocaine use on the social scene occurred most
often in the 25-29 year age group.
• The same study in 2008/2009 surveyed substance use among frequenters of clubs
and discotheques in large and medium-sized towns in five regions of the Netherlands:
North (Friesland, Groningen, Drenthe), East (Gelderland and Overijssel), Central
(Utrecht, Flevoland), West (Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland) and South (Noord-
Brabant, Zeeland, Limburg). It was found that:
- The percentage of current cocaine users was lower than among attendees at largescale
parties and festivals, and varied from 3% in the regions East and North to
5.6% and 5.8% respectively in South and West. On the basis of these regional
data, an estimate will be made of substance use among frequenters of clubs at
national level. While these data are not yet available for this publication, they will
be included in the final report of the social scene survey.
• According to qualitative panel studies involving key observers in social settings,
cocaine has penetrated society to a broad and varied extent.
- In 2006/2007 key observers reported that cocaine use throughout the whole country
had reached saturation point, with possible slight upsurges in use in Amsterdam and
Rotterdam (Nabben et al., 2007b).
3 Cocaine
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