Netherlands National Drug Monitor - Research and Documentation ...

• In the province of Gelderland, key observers in 2009 only identified heroin use among
juveniles receiving youth support and treatment. Besides heroin, these youngsters use
tranquilisers and sleeping pills in order to ‘come down’ after using stimulants. In some
cases, heroin is used a few times weekly as a tranquiliser (De Jong et al., 2009).
Table 4.3 Heroin use in special groups
Location Survey year Age Ever use Current use
Juveniles and young adults in the social scene
- Bar-goers I Amsterdam 2005 Average 27 1.5% 0%
- Clubbers Amsterdam 2003 Average 28 2% 0%
2008 Average 25 1% 0%
- Party and festival-goers Nationwide II 2008/2009 Average 24 1.4% 0.1%
Problem groups
- School drop-outs III Regional 2002/2003 14 - 17 1.1% 0.5%
- Juvenile detainees III Regional 2002/2003 14 - 17 3.4% 0.5%
- Juveniles in residential care Nationwide 2008 12-13
14-15
16
1.1%
5%
2.9%
- Homeless youth 1V Flevoland 2004 13 – 22 8% 2%
- Juveniles in care V Amsterdam 2006 Average 17 1% 0%
Percentage of ever users and current users (past month) per group. The figures in this Table are not mutually
comparable on account of differences in age groups and research methods. I. Selective sample of juveniles
and young adults from mainstream bars, student bars, gay bars and hip bars; therefore not representative
of all bar-goers. II Low response (19%). III. Research in the provinces of Noord-Holland, Flevoland and
Utrecht. Drop-outs are juveniles who have not attended school for at least one month during the past 12
months, not counting holidays. Usage among juvenile detainees: in the month prior to detention. IV. Young
people up to age 23 who have had no fixed abode for at least three months. V. Juveniles with behavioural
problems, juvenile delinquents, homeless youth and juveniles in other care settings.Sources: Antenne,
Bonger Institute for Criminology, University of Amsterdam; Uitgaansonderzoek, Trimbos Institute/ University
of Amsterdam; EXPLORE, Trimbos Institute/University of Utrecht.
-
4.4 Problem use
The available estimates tend not to draw a clear distinction between problem users
of opiates and of other hard drugs (see Appendix A for a definition of problem use).
The estimated figures in Table 4.4 refer mainly to regular users of illegal opiates or of
methadone, who generally also take other substances such as (crack) cocaine, alcohol
and sleeping pills or tranquillizers.
82 Netherlands National Drug Monitor - NDM Annual Report 2009