10. Drug Use in the Netherlands

E. Leuw, Foundation for the Study of Alcohol and Drugs, Amsterdam.

INTRODUCTION

This survey is intended as a summary of the principal results of the socio-scientific research that has taken place in the last five years in the Netherlands into drug use and some of its backgrounds. This research was in general oriented towards the collection of information on the following points:

1. The nature and extent of drug use, patterns of drug use
2. The sociological and psychological characteristics of drug users
3. The existing knowledge of and attitudes towards drug use.

The data coming under the first point give an impression of the distribution of drug use in the Netherlands. More than incidental data on the distribution of the use of drugs exist only on pupils of continued education, and then more specifically of general secondary and higher education.

The research in question shows that among the older pupils within this population approximately 20 per cent have some experience with drugs. About half of these are pupils who use drugs experimentally only. Among the drugs used, cannabis occupies by far the most important place. Only about one quarter of the 'users' have ever used something else than cannabis occasionally. In most cases this then relates to the use of pep pills or LSD. Regular use of these drugs occurs only very slightly among the population in question.
There is very little information on the distribution of drug use in other populations. Buikhuisen et al. found over 7 per cent drug users among all sixteen to twenty-two year olds in Gieten ( North Drenthe). Here too approx. 75 per cent of the users confined themselves to cannabis. In a student sample it was found that 17 per cent had used cannabis on some occasion. Finally, it was found in a general population of Dutch persons aged 16 years and over that more than 2.5 per cent had some experience with drugs.

As regards the second point, it may be remarked that practically all the relevant research shows that drug use typically occurs in a social context, that it is done together with others. This applies very strongly to
cannabis and to a somewhat lesser extent to LSD and opiates.

A second general datum is that the use is almost exclusively confined to people below the age of 30. In the relatively older research (up to ca. 1970) it is found that drug use is associated with the male sex, higher socio-economic environment, higher degree of urbanisation and absence of religious affiliation. In the more recent research these relations prove in general to disappear or in any case to decrease.

It further emerges clearly from the available research that on many other points too the drug user differs from the current life style. The drug user is often more active and tolerant in respect of all kinds of sex, has a more critical, often leftish attitude towards society, has a
greater cultural and intellectual interest, is less achievement-oriented.

The (scanty) individual psychological data are consistent with the above differences. Drug users are in general more 'neurotic' and more likely to be in a conflict situation in respect of their parents and education than non-users.

However, for all this there are no indications that there is any question of an individual or social pathology among drug users in general. Only a very small minority of drug users cannot maintain themselves physically, mentally or socially.

Finally, it should be remarked that so far there are no research data on causality between drug use and the related characteristics of the user. In other words, there is no answer to the question whether a person uses drugs because he is less achievement-oriented or whether he is less achievement-oriented because he uses drugs.

The third important point on which recent research has yielded a number of data is the question of the knowledge and attitudes that exist with regard to drugs and drug users. Familiarity with the phenomenon of drugs has increased very strikingly in the last five years. In both adult and juvenile populations there is an increase in the percentage having some familiarity with the phenomenon from approx. 50 to 90 per cent.

The great majority of both juveniles and adults are of the opinion that all drugs without exception are dangerous agents to which one becomes addicted and which have an adverse effect on physical and mental health.

These ideas also exist with regard to cannabis. This agent is ranked immediately after the opiates and LSD with regard to its harmfulness. It is striking that dangerous agents such as amphetamines, alcohol and barbiturates are regarded as less harmful than cannabis. In the population which is considered to be less opposed, relatively speaking, to the use of cannabis (secondary schoolchildren) 80 to 90 per cent state that they would not even like to experiment with cannabis. As would be expected, drug users have a much more positive attitude to drugs than non-users.

The relatively strong disapproval of drug use is also evident from the opinions that are held about drug users. Drug users are viewed in general as problematic persons and are judged in relatively negative terms. They are regarded as weak, poor achievers and people who are inclined to run away from their problems. Drug users are nearly always assigned negative motivations for their use. These negative judgements of users are more pronounced in adult than in juvenile populations. In the adult population somewhat less than half feel that the use of drugs should be severely punished. Within this population a majority is opposed to the legislation of cannabis; in juvenile populations this is the case only with a minority. Finally, it is striking that in circles involved in drug policy (politicians, people from health care, education and youth work) a much more tolerant attitude exists towards drugs and drug use. In particular a fundamental distinction is made in these circles between cannabis and other drugs and there is an increasing inclination to accept the use of cannabis or in any case to make it a non-punishable offence.

REFERENCE
This presentation consists of the introduction to a full review of drug use, attitudes of young people and public opinion:

Foundation for Alcohol and Drug Research (1972), Drug Use in the Netherlands: a survey of scientific investigations in this field. De Lairessestraat 39, Amsterdam.