Naar een integraal alcoholbeleid in België

The omnipresence and social acceptance of alcohol in Belgium in many cases masks the harmful effects of alcohol. In order to reduce the negative consequences of harmful alcohol consumption, much research has been done in recent years into the effectiveness of possible policy measures. Despite the recommendations of these studies and of several health organizations, there is still no national alcohol policy plan in force in Belgium. Measures in the areas of prevention, care, price, supply and marketing are necessary to effectively reduce the harmful effects of alcohol.De alomtegenwoordigheid en sociale aanvaarding van alcohol in België verbloemt in vele gevallen de schadelijke gevolgen die alcohol heeft. Om die gevolgen te reduceren, is er de afgelopen jaar veel onderzoek gedaan naar de effectiviteit van mogelijke overheidsmaatregelen. Onder andere de Wereldgezondheidsorganisatie adviseert landen over effectieve beleidsmaatregelen op basis van wetenschappelijke inzichten. Ondanks de aanbevelingen van de Wereldgezondheidsorganisatie en uit wetenschappelijke onderzoeken is er in België nog altijd geen sprake van een nationaal alcoholbeleidsplan waarin deze maatregelen integraal zijn opgenomen. Maatregelen op het vlak van preventie, hulpverlening, prijs, aanbod en marketing zijn noodzakelijk om de schadelijke gevolgen van alcohol effectief te reduceren

Drug use changes at the individual level : Results from a longitudinal, multisite survey in young europeans frequenting the nightlife scene

Background: Monitoring emerging trends in the increasingly dynamic European drug market is vital; however, information on change at the individual level is scarce. In the current study, we investigated changes in drug use over 12 months in European nightlife attendees. Method: In this longitudinal online survey, changes in substances used, use frequency in continued users, and relative initiation of use at follow-up were assessed for 20 different substances. To take part, participants had to be aged 18–34 years; be from Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, or the UK; and have attended at least 6 electronic music events in the past 12 months at baseline. Of 8,045 volunteers at baseline, 2,897 completed the survey at both time points (36% follow-up rate), in 2017 and 2018. Results: The number of people using ketamine increased by 21% (p < 0.001), and logarithmized frequency of use in those continuing use increased by 15% (p < 0.001; 95% CI: 0.07–0.23). 4-Fluoroamphetamine use decreased by 27% (p < 0.001), and logarithmized frequency of use in continuing users decreased by 15% (p < 0.001, 95% CI: −0.48 to −0.23). The drugs with the greatest proportion of relative initiation at follow-up were synthetic cannabinoids (73%, N = 30), mephedrone (44%, N = 18), alkyl nitrites (42%, N = 147), synthetic dissociatives (41%, N = 15), and prescription opioids (40%, N = 48). Conclusions: In this European nightlife sample, ketamine was found to have the biggest increase in the past 12 months, which occurred alongside an increase in frequency of use in continuing users. The patterns of uptake and discontinuation of alkyl nitrates, novel psychoactive substances, and prescription opioids provide new information that has not been captured by existing cross-sectional surveys. These findings demonstrate the importance of longitudinal assessments of drug use and highlight the dynamic nature of the European drug landscape

Drug use and nightlife: more than just dance music

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Research over the last decade has focused almost exclusively on the association between electronic music and MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine or "ecstasy") or other stimulant drug use in clubs. Less attention has been given to other nightlife venues and music preferences, such as rock music or southern/funky music. This study aims to examine a broader spectrum of nightlife, beyond dance music. It looks at whether certain factors influence the frequency of illegal drug and alcohol use: the frequency of going to certain nightlife venues in the previous month (such as, pubs, clubs or goa parties); listening to rock music, dance music or southern and funky music; or sampling venues (such as, clubs, dance events or rock festivals). The question of how these nightlife variables influence the use of popular drugs like alcohol, MDMA, cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines is addressed.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study sample consisted of 775 visitors of dance events, clubs and rock festivals in Belgium. Study participants answered a survey on patterns of going out, music preferences and drug use. Odds ratios were used to determine whether the odds of being an illegal substance user are higher for certain nightlife-related variables. Furthermore, five separate ordinal regression analyses were used to investigate drug use in relation to music preference, venues visited during the last month and sampling venue.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Respondents who used illegal drugs were 2.5 times more likely to report that they prefer dance music. Goa party visitors were nearly 5 times more likely to use illegal drugs. For those who reported visiting clubs, the odds of using illegal drugs were nearly 2 times higher. Having gone to a pub in the last month was associated with both more frequent alcohol use and more frequent illegal substance use. People who reported liking rock music and attendees of rock festivals used drugs less frequently.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>It was concluded that a more extended recreational environment, beyond dance clubs, is associated with frequent drug use. This stresses the importance of targeted prevention in various recreational venues tailored to the specific needs of the setting and its visitors.</p

Recreatief druggebruik in het uitgaansleven

De beschikbare cijfers over illegale drugs geven een grondig inzicht in het gebruik van illegale middelen vandaag en in opmerkelijke evoluties (periode 1997-2007). Naast cijfers zijn in deze publicatie vier bijdragen van deskundigen opgenomen die ieder een trend in het illegale druggebruik van de laatste tien jaar beschrijven. De volgende thema’s staan daarbij centraal: de samenwerking tussen drughulpverlening en justitie, de schadelijkheid van cannabis, de harm reduction en de risico’s van druggebruik, en het recreatieve druggebruik in het uitgaansleven. Dit boek is een efficiënte informatiebron voor iedereen met belangstelling voor het druggebruik in de maatschappij