Drug Policy in Rotterdam a sandwich of tolerance and repression

1
Drug Policy in Rotterdam a sandwich of
tolerance and repression

• Drs Wouter M. de Jong
• Senior policy advisor
• Municipal Health Service ROTTERDAM
• email dejongw_at_ggd.rotterdam.nl

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The early 90s

• Large open drug scene Platform 0
• Drug tourism from France
• Increasing psychic disorders among street addicts
• Increasing agression in the streets
• Polarisation between dealers, users, community
  organisations, service providers and the
  authorities

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Policy bottlenecks

• Inadequate response of drug services to
  increasing problems
• Mental health care services are reluctant to
  treat drug addicts
• Police is swimming against the tide
• No co-operation between policy sectors

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Reconsideration of the policy An integrated
approach was considered necessary
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Pillars of the new policy

• Policy Shared responsibility and co-operation
• Influence the community
• Repression of (international) drug dealing

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Drug policy at the cross road of four policy
programmes

• Public mental health care
• Addiction care
• Safety in the city programme
• Basic care for homeless and marginalised people

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Public Mental Health Care

• Prevention and care for those who are in utter
  need but not able to ask for help
• Many are homeless, drug addicted and have
  psychiatric disorders
• Improving services through co-operation
• Community based Client Care Networks
• Safety Net basic and direct services
• Prevention
• After care and rehabilitation

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Addiction care

• Priorty for most vulnerable and marginalised drug
  users
• Reach out and reduction of harm through 1200
  methadone slots, drop-in centres, user rooms,
  fieldwork and night shelters
• Detoxification and treatment for those who want
  to stop
• Resocialisation activity and work programmes

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Innovation in addiction care

• Coercive and pressed drug detoxification
  treatment
• Medically controlled heroin substitution
  treatment
• Consumer rooms

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Safety in the city

• Strengthen safety solidarity
• Prevent or end nuisance and criminalty related to
  use and dealing
• Project 700 individual oriented mix of care
  and repression
• Project Hotspots
• the summer campaign

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care for the homeless and marginalised

• Sufficient day and night care
• Housing for the marginalised, including houses
  and social support for 235 homeless drug addicts
• Resocialisation Work, activity centers and
  vocational training for addicts

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The Rotterdam approach preliminary results

• Drug nuisance has decreased and is still
  decreasing
• Living conditions for Rotterdam drug users have
  improved
• Opportunities for addicts to step out have
  increased
• Increasing public support for the new policy

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The Rotterdam approachLessons learned

• Balancing the needs of addicts and the interests
  of society
• Balancing tolerance and repression towards a
  fruitfull mix of interventions
• Shared responsibility and multi sectoral
  co-operation is crucial
• Partnership in policy and action