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Antenne Gooi en Vechtstreek 2022

In Antenne Gooi en Vechtstreek wordt sinds 2017 jaarlijks het gebruik van alcohol, tabak, cannabis en andere drugs in de regio in kaart gebracht. Dit gebeurt op basis van een combinatie van kwalitatieve en kwantitatieve methoden. In 2022 verzamelden we informatie via (1) interviews met een panel van vier professionals en een jongere die vertellen over de leefwereld, vrijetijdsbesteding en middelengebruik van straat- en uitgaansgroepen; (2) een anonieme survey (vragenlijsten) over middelengebruik bij 107 uitgaanders; en (3) analyse van testuitslagen van 276 vrijwillig aangeleverde drugsmonsters bij de Hilversumse testservice. Dit rapport schetst vanuit verschillende bronnen gebruikspatronen en trends in de wereld van genotmiddelen in Gooi en Vechtstreek.

Antenne Amsterdam 2020

Antenne Amsterdam 2023

In Antenne Amsterdam wordt sinds 1993 jaarlijks het middelengebruik bij jongeren en jongvolwassenen in de hoofdstad in kaart gebracht. Dit gebeurt op basis van een combinatie van kwalitatieve en kwantitatieve methoden. In 2023 verzamelden we informatie via (1) interviews met een 26-koppig uitgaanspanel die vanuit insidersperspectief of vanuit hun werk als beveiliger, manager of organisator vertellen over het trendsettende uitgaansleven; (2) interviews met een panel kwetsbare jeugd waarin zeven professionals zijn vertegenwoordigd die met buurtjongeren werken; (3) een anonieme survey (vragenlijsten) over middelengebruik onder voetballers en publiek bij twaalf amateurclubs; en (4) analyse van testuitslagen van meer dan vijfduizend vrijwillig aangeleverde drugsmonsters bij testservices. De Amsterdamse drugs- en gebruikersmarkt wordt gekenmerkt door golfbewegingen. Twintig jaar geleden werd in Antenne 2003 een 'nieuwe nuchterheid’ aangekondigd; tien jaar later zagen we in Antenne 2013 meer middelengebruik over de hele linie; en weer tien jaar verder lijken zich onder trendsettende uitgaanders in 2023 de contouren van een hernieuwde nuchterheid af te tekenen. De voetbalsurvey laat zien dat vrijetijdsdomeinen van sport en uitgaansleven overlappen. Sporten en middelengebruik zijn niet noodzakelijk tegenpolen, maar vaak twee kanten van dezelfde medaille. De meeste sporters en uitgaanders zijn mensen die gezonde en ongezonde gewoontes balanceren.

Changing Patterns of Substance Use During the Coronavirus Pandemic: Self-Reported Use of Tobacco, Alcohol, Cannabis, and Other Drugs

As in many other countries worldwide, the coronavirus pandemic prompted the implementation of an “intelligent lockdown” in the spring of 2020 in the Netherlands, including the closure of nightlife venues and cancellation of festivals. Such restrictions and social distancing could particularly affect people who use alcohol or other drugs in recreational settings and give rise to new challenges and additional needs in the field of addiction prevention and care. To monitor changes in substance use and provide services with practical directions for tailored prevention, an anonymous web survey was set up, targeting a convenience sample aged 16 years or older through various social media and other online channels. Between May and October 2020, a total of 6,070 participants completed the survey, mainly adolescents and young adults (16–24 years old). These data were used to explore and describe changing patterns in substance use. Overall results showed declined current use compared to “pre-corona,” but mask underlying variation in changing patterns, including discontinued (tobacco 10.4%, alcohol 11.3%, cannabis 16.3%, other drugs 30.4%), decreased (tobacco 23.0%, alcohol 29.1%, cannabis 17.4%, other drugs 20.7%), unchanged (tobacco 30.3%, alcohol 21.2%, cannabis 22.3%, other drugs 17.3%), increased (tobacco 29.6%, alcohol 32.1%, cannabis 32.9%, other drugs 25.3%), and (re)commenced use (tobacco 6.7%, alcohol 6.3%, cannabis 11.1%, other drugs 6.2%). Especially the use of drugs like ecstasy and nitrous oxide was discontinued or decreased due to the lack of social occasions for use. Increased use was associated with coping motives for all substance types. As measures combatting the coronavirus may need to be practiced for some time to come, possibly leading to prolonged changes in substance use with lingering “post-corona” consequences, timely and ongoing monitoring of changing patterns of substance use is vital for informing prevention services within this field.

Where, When and With Whom: Cannabis Use, Settings and Self-Regulation Rules

This article examines to what extent and how cannabis users in different countries, with different cannabis legislation and policies practice normalization and self-regulation of cannabis use in everyday life. Data were collected in a survey among a convenience sample of 1,225 last-year cannabis users aged 18–40 from seven European countries, with cannabis policies ranging from relatively liberal to more punitive. Participants were recruited in or in the vicinity of Dutch coffeeshops. We assessed whether cannabis users experience and interpret formal control and informal social norms differently across countries with different cannabis policies. The findings suggest that many cannabis users set boundaries to control their use. Irrespective of national cannabis policy, using cannabis in private settings and setting risk avoidance rules were equally predominant in all countries. This illustrates that many cannabis users are concerned with responsible use, demonstrating the importance that they attach to discretion. Overall, self-regulation was highest in the most liberal country (the Netherlands). This indicates that liberalization does not automatically lead to chaotic or otherwise problematic use as critics of the policy have predicted, as the diminishing of formal control (law enforcement) is accompanied by increased importance of informal norms and stronger self-regulation. In understanding risk-management, societal tolerance of cannabis use seems more important than cross-national differences in cannabis policy. The setting of cannabis use and self-regulation rules were strongly associated with frequency of use. Daily users were less selective in choosing settings of use and less strict in self-regulation rules. Further differences in age, gender, and household status underline the relevance of a differentiated, more nuanced understanding of cannabis normalization.

Cannabis users and stigma: A comparison of users from European countries with different cannabis policies

Cannabis is commonly characterized as the most normalized illicit drug. However, it remains a prohibited substance in most parts of the world, including Europe, and users can still be subject to stigmatization. The objective of this study is to assess to what extent and how cannabis users in different countries with different cannabis policies perceive, experience and respond to stigmatization. We conducted a survey in the Dutch coffeeshops among 1225 last year cannabis users from seven European countries, with national cannabis policies ranging from relatively liberal to punitive. Three dimensions of cannabis-related stigma were investigated (discrimination, perceived devaluation and alienation) and a sum score was used to reflect the general level of stigmatization. Perceived devaluation was the highest-scoring dimension of stigma and discrimination the lowest-scoring. The general level of stigmatization was lowest in the Netherlands and highest in Greece. This indicates that punitive cannabis policy is associated with stigma and liberal cannabis policy is associated with de-stigmatization. Besides country, daily cannabis use was also found to be a significant predictor of stigma, but gender, age, household type and employment status were not.