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Antenne 2019

Climate Communication

Over the past few years the tone of the debate around climate change has shifted from sceptical to soberingly urgent as the global community has prioritised the research into solutions which will mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. So far this research has been insufficient. One of the major problems for driving public and private stakeholders to implement existing solutions and research new ones is how we communicate about climate change (Stoknes, 2014). There seems to be a lack of common language that drives the scientific community away from policymakers and the public. Due to this lack, it is hard to translate findings into viable and sustainable solutions and to adopt new climate-neutral economies and habits.

Als de tank je beste vriend wordt

Het recreatieve gebruik van lachgas heeft de laatste jaren een grote vlucht genomen. Hoewel incidenteel lachgasgebruik nauwelijks gezondheidsschade geeft, kan langdurig of excessief lachgasgebruik tot neurologische schade leiden. Het viel Amsterdamse zorgcentra en behandelaren op dat met name jonge Marokkaanse en Turkse Nederlanders in stadsdeel Amsterdam Nieuw-West zich meldden met neurologische symptomen, waaronder ernstige verlammingsverschijnselen na problematisch lachgasgebruik. Middels interviews met dertien jonge Marokkaans-Nederlandse gebruikers (19-28 jaar) worden de determinanten van hun problematisch lachgasgebruik belicht, inclusief de relatief lage medisch-psychische zorgvraag bij deze groep gebruikers. Van hen waren zeven jongeren (poly-)klinisch in behandeling voor hun problematische gebruik. De overige zes jongeren waren niet in behandeling, maar gebruikten wel ten minste elke week lachgas.Uit de interviews blijkt dat lachgas wordt gebruikt uit verveling en om psychosociale stress en negatieve gedachten te onderdrukken. Lachgas lijkt een panacee dat verlichting biedt. Andere motieven zijn depressie, discriminatie en conflicten met vrienden of ouders. Door de (taboe)cultuur rond middelengebruik, het wantrouwen, schaamte en machocultuur bij deze groep gebruikers bereikt de hulpverlening pas laat de Marokkaans-Nederlandse problematische lachgasgebruiker. De conclusie is dat het aanbeveling verdient om influencers in te zetten bij campagnes, gericht op de risico’s en behandeling van fors lachgasgebruik. Ook het ‘jongerenwerk’ kan een belangrijke rol spelen in het motiveren van sociaal geïsoleerde gebruikers om medisch-psychische hulp te zoeken.

Treatment Seeking Nitrous Oxide Users in Addiction Care

Introduction: Over the past decade, frequent use of large quantities of nitrous oxide (N2O) has become more common in the Netherlands. Although N2O poses several negative health consequences for a subgroup of problematic N2O users, there is a lack of knowledge on what characterizes these intensive users. This study therefore aims to provide the demographic and substance use characteristics and experiences during treatment of treatment seeking problematic N2O users and to compare this with a matched group of treatment-seeking problematic cocaine users. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of patients who were referred for treatment of problematic N2O use at a large Dutch addiction care facility from January 2020 to September 2022, extracting demographics, pattern of use and follow-up data. Additionally, a subgroup of N2O users was propensity-score matched (1:1) with a subgroup of treatment seeking problematic cocaine users, both groups excluding users with substance use disorders or frequent use of substances other than N2O and cocaine, respectively. Results: 128 patients with a N2O use disorder were included in the total sample and a subgroup of 77 N2O-only users was propensity-score matched on age and sex to 77 cocaine-only users. N2O users were typically young (mean age 26.2 years), male (66.4%), unmarried (82.9%), with a low education level (59.0%) and born in the Netherlands (88.2%), with parents born in Morocco (45.3%). N2O was used intermittently (median 10 days/month, IQR 4.0–17.5 days) and often in very large quantities (median 5 kg [ca. 750 balloons] per average using day, IQR 2–10 kg). Compared to the patients with a cocaine use disorder, matched N2O users were lower educated, more often from Moroccan descent, and less likely to be alcohol or polysubstance users. Despite receiving similar treatments, N2O users were twice as likely to discontinue treatment before completion compared to cocaine users (63 vs. 35%, p = 0.004). Conclusion: Treatment-seeking problematic N2O users are demographically different from treatment-seeking problematic cocaine users and are much more likely to dropout from psychological treatment. Further research is needed into the needs and other factors of problematic N2O users that relate to poor treatment adherence in problematic N2O users.

Problematic Use of Nitrous Oxide by Young Moroccan–Dutch Adults

The recreational use of nitrous oxide (N2O; laughing gas) has largely expanded in recent years. Although incidental use of nitrous oxide hardly causes any health damage, problematic or heavy use of nitrous oxide can lead to serious adverse effects. Amsterdam care centres noticed that Moroccan–Dutch young adults reported neurological symptoms, including severe paralysis, as a result of problematic nitrous oxide use. In this qualitative exploratory study, thirteen young adult Moroccan–Dutch excessive nitrous oxide users were interviewed. The determinants of problematic nitrous oxide use in this ethnic group are discussed, including their low treatment demand with respect to nitrous oxide abuse related medical–psychological problems. Motives for using nitrous oxide are to relieve boredom, to seek out relaxation with friends and to suppress psychosocial stress and negative thoughts. Other motives are depression, discrimination and conflict with friends or parents. The taboo culture surrounding substance use—mistrust, shame and macho culture—frustrates timely medical/psychological treatment of Moroccan–Dutch problematic nitrous oxide users. It is recommended to use influencers in media campaigns with the aim to decrease the risks of heavy nitrous oxide use and improve treatment access. Outreach youth workers can also play an important role in motivating socially isolated users to seek medical and or psychological help.

Recreational N2O use