Posted on: mei 4, 2016
(This article was last updated on the 23rd of March, 2018.)
Every year the Dutch Drug Information and Monitoring System (DIMS) releases a report about tested drugs in the Netherlands. The organisation has a countrywide network of test locations set up to give insights into the illegal Dutch drugs market. DIMS does research into the substances contained in illegal drugs, the health risks associated with them and analyses trends in the drug market.
There are a few legal drug test labs in the Netherlands where people can get their illegal drugs tested. Most of these labs are located in the major cities in the Netherlands. Amsterdam has a few. These legal businesses test the ingredients of illegal drugs (XTC, amphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, etc.) and it’s 100% legal. They share their expertise about drugs and alcohol, its quality, effects and risks. This is the Dutch approach on informing people about drugs – The government rather have someone using drugs safer by testing it than less safe without doing so. In Amsterdam there are two official drug test labs called GGD en Jellinek. These are mostly visited by locals because tourists don’t know this.
XTC/MDMA test in one of Amsterdam’s drug test labs.
The number of tested XTC samples has more than doubled since 2005. The average amount of MDMA per pill rose from 81 to a 150mg during that same time period. The second most turned in drugs for testing was cocaine, 13 percent of all samples were cocaine. Cocaine is often diluted with levamisole, which adds extra health risks. In 2015 cocaine powder samples contained on average 64% of pure cocaine.
Total Number of Drug Samples Increased Again
The Dutch Drug Information and Monitoring System notes that, surprisingly, in 2015 the total number of handed in samples increased again substantially. The number of 4-Fluoroamphetamine samples doubled since last year. After XTC/MDMA, cocaine and speed 4-FA is now the most handed in drug recorded by the Dutch Drug Information and Monitoring System.
Different types of organizations across the Netherlands are connected to the Dutch Drug Information and Monitoring System. They offer weekly consulting-hours. During consulting-hours drug users can present their drugs for testing. If the taken drugs sample corresponds with samples in the database the drug user will immediately be informed about the safety profile of the drugs. If the drug sample doesn’t appear in the database a sample will be sent to the test lab for further analysis. After a week the results will be relayed to the drug provider.
Sometimes a drug test leads to such alarming results that a national warning is issued, sometimes with help of the Dutch government. In 2015 this happened for instance because of very high doses of MDMA in XTC pills. During the Amsterdam Dance Event in 2015 there was a pill on the market with a MDMA dosis of 300 milligram.
The Dutch Drug Information and Monitoring System made an overview of the drug samples and accompenying risks.
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