Licit and Illicit Drug Use in the Netherlands, 2001SubtitleAuthor: Manja D. Abraham, Hendrien L. Kaal, Peter D.A. Cohen
In 1997, CEDRO conducted the first large national drug use survey of the population of the Netherlands. In the context of international research and policy, where the Dutch situation is often taken as an indication of what might happen when policy parameters are shifted, this provided very important factual information on drug use in the Netherlands as a whole. The population survey in the Netherlands was repeated in 2001, the results of which are presented in this report. In 2001, no fewer than 18,000 people of 12 years and over were asked about their use of a whole range of different drugs, both licit and illicit. Drugs included in the study are: Tobacco, alcohol, hypnotics, sedatives, cannabis, cocaine, amphetamine, ecstasy, hallucinogens, mushrooms, opiates such as heroin, inhalants, smart drugs, performance enhancing drugs, and smart drugs. People were asked about both past and recent use, their age of first use, frequency of use, and their place of acquisition. Data are presented for the Netherlands as a whole, but also separately for Amsterdam and Rotterdam and for the five address density categories of municipalities distinguished by Statistics Netherlands. In addition, use figures are given for a large number of age groups. The report provides both the 2001 and 1997 data, thus giving an overview of recent trends in drug use in the Netherlands. Respondents were offered a choice in the method of data reporting, and this highly innovative approach to survey methodology gets ample attention in this report. Like the survey in 1997, the 2001 survey was designed in cooperation with Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and funded by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports (VWS). |