The Netherlands Drug Situation 2010 - Trimbos-instituut

3 PreventionIntroductionIn the Netherlands, the prevention of drug use, drug abuse, and the harm reductionamong drug users is coordinated by the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport (VWS).Research on prevention programs is conducted by the Trimbos Institute, NetherlandsInstitute of Mental Health and Addiction, universities and research departments of institutesfor addiction care and treatment. On behalf of the Public Health Act (T.K. 2008-460), 1 Dutch municipalities are responsible for carrying out prevention programs, forwhich they receive funding from the ministry. Prevention programs are commonly carriedout in co-operation between the prevention departments of institutes for addiction careand municipal health services, schools, neighborhood centers, the Dutch Centre for CrimePrevention & Safety (CCV), the Trimbos Institute, Netherlands Institute of Mental Healthand Addiction and other 'health promoting institutes.New developments and trends regarding prevention policies and interventionsThe new national drug policy paper, that was expected to be published and discussed in2010, has been delayed due to the fall of the cabinet (see § 1.1). In the outlines of thenew drugs policy, more emphasis has been laid on negative norm setting ('no use of alcoholand drugs' below a certain age) and intensification of selective and indicated preventionprograms (T.K.24077-239). Nonetheless, the emphasis on an integral approachto health prevention is still prominent.The second Dutch policy paper on health prevention (Preventie Nota) from 2006 is stillthe guiding principle for activities in health prevention, including drug prevention (seeNational Report 2008). Health prevention activities are mainly directed to the generalpublic, but the focus is shifting gradually towards young people and people with a lowsocio-economic status (SES). The focus is shifting, because the risks of health problemsare most prominent among these groups and the evidence for the effectiveness of selectiveand indicated prevention activities is more convincing than for universal prevention.De Ridder (2003) concluded that the effectiveness of public health campaigns may beseriously flawed by not adapting the method and the message to the lifestyle characteristicsand short-term needs of low-SES people (De Ridder 2003). Studies on effective preventionof unhealthy habits (for example drug use and unhealthy eating habits) forpeople with low socioeconomic status are nowadays still sparse. However, due to thechanging health policy, some studies are currently underway (Tariq et al. 2009).The Centre for Healthy Living (Centrum Gezond Leven), which is embedded in the NationalInstitute for Public health and the Environment (RIVM), still supports local healthpromotion activities, and assesses the quality and effectiveness of interventions using anational certification system (Brug et al. 2010). For example, the RIVM has recognized"Moti-4", which prevents problem drug use among youngsters, as a well-described intervention.As a result, a national "Counter for Healthy Living" has been presented at theinternet (www.loketgezondleven.nl). This website makes available a database with life-1 Since 1 December 2008, the Public Health Act replaces the former Collective Prevention PublicHealth Act (Wet Collectieve Preventie Volksgezondheid). The Public Health Act also includes the InfectiousDiseases Act and Quarantaine Act. There are also some changes with regard to youth care(mandatory electronic registration) and prevention for elderly.45