The Netherlands Drug Situation 2010 - Trimbos-instituut

Figure 7.2.1 Number of syringes exchanged in Amsterdam and Rotterdam 2002-2009Source: GGD Amsterdam and GGD Rotterdam.The small and unexplained increase observed in 2008 was not continued in 2009. InAmsterdam, figures are available since 1990. After a steady increase until 1993(1,082,880 syringes were exchanged in that year), the number of exchanged syringesdeclined to 139,400 in 2009 (source: GGD Amsterdam). In Rotterdam, figures are availablesince 2000. The number of syringes ordered by the local distribution centres wasreduced between 2000 and 2009 from 422,000 to 143,300 (source: GGD Rotterdam).Based on the number of syringes distributed and assuming that the average IDU in Rotterdamuses 10 syringes per week, it has been estimated that the number of IDUs inRotterdam has declined from 812 in 2000 to 275 in 2009. Apart from figures on needlesand syringes, the municipal health centre Rotterdam Rijnmond (GGD Rotterdam) alsokeeps track of the number of condoms, personal pocket containers for the safe disposalof used needles and stericups which are distributed to drug users. From 2004 to 2009,the number of distributed condoms declined from 212,500 to 54,000. Pocket containersare distributed since 2006; the yearly numbers fluctuate but are on average 1,900 peryear. The distribution of stericups has increased from 5,850 in 2006 to 14,758 in 2009. Itis noteworthy that in Rotterdam during evening and nightly hours drug users can exchangeneedles and syringes at several police stations.The decline during many years in the number of syringes exchanged can be explained byseveral factors: a reduction of injecting heroin users in general; a reduction of drug usersfrom neighbouring countries, often injectors; a reduced popularity of injecting resultingfrom experienced health problems, in combination with an increase in the use of crack;and mortality among injectors.7.2.2 Drug consumption roomsA recent inventory (mid 2010) among a network of infectious disease experts in all addictioncare institutions in the Netherlands identified 37 drug consumption rooms operatingin the Netherlands. Though being present in smaller cities as well, most of these harm102