Antenne 2010: trends in alcohol, tabak en drugs bij jonge Amsterdammers

Since 1993, Amsterdam Antenna has been documenting and analysing trends in nightlife and substance use among Amsterdam young adults and adolescents. Our panel study traces the latest developments every year by holding individual, semi-annual interviews with a panel of avid nightlifers and professionals from various nightlife scenes. The main focus is on trendsetters who try out new types of music, events, nightspots and drugs, or who experiment with new variations on older themes. They also lead the way as particular drugs or styles go out of fashion. The panel study also focuses on neighbourhood and problem youth. It reports trends, signs and rumours from all these groups, but it provides no exact figures.
Our annual survey, by comparison, delivers quantitative data about substance use in specific groups in the city: school-aged adolescents, young clients of youth services, cannabis coffeeshop customers, pubgoers and clubbers. The 2010 survey focuses for the third time on Amsterdam pubgoers. As in 2000 and
2005, we surveyed a wide range of customers in Amsterdam pubs and cafés. Our sample reliably represented the young adults and adolescents who were frequenting mainstream, trendy, gay and student pubs in 2010. Some trendsetters were amongst them, but most respondents could be considered trend followers and mainstreamers. A total of 590 pubgoers completed the questionnaire. Their average age was 27, and they were almost evenly split between males and females. Three quarters were of Dutch ethnicity. More than half lived alone, and the average pubgoer had a high level of education.
Other statistics reported here derive from sources we call substance use prevention indicators. These provide quantitative data on the alcohol and drugs markets from several sources: requests for information or advice received via a telephone help line and a website; drug education contacts at dance events; and results from the testing of voluntarily submitted drugs. Altogether, the information reported in the various components of Antenna yields a diversified picture of developments and trends in Amsterdam’s world of recreational substances.