The number of drug overdoses has been on the rise in the Netherlands. From 2014 to 2024, the number of drug-related deaths in the country increased substantially from 123 in 2014 to 378 in 2024, according to statistics from the National Drug Monitor, a report by Statistics Netherlands. The majority of these deaths were due to overdosing; of the 378 deaths in 2024, almost three-quarters (74%) were caused by an overdose on an illegal substance. Additional data indicate that there has been greater concern within both the mental health care system and the general public about an increase in drug-related deaths coming from overdoses, as the number of drug-related deaths associated with both opioid use and unknown psychotropic substances continues to rise.
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Opioids The Primary Cause For Escalating Numbers
The data shows that the overwhelming majority of the increase in drug-related deaths can be attributed to opioids being the main contributors. The data show that opioid overdose deaths increased from 40 in 2014 to 161 in 2024, with opioid pain medications constituting almost half (43%) of drug-related deaths overall. Opioid pain medications include substances like heroin, manufacturer's methadone, oxycodone, morphine, and fentanyl.
The majority of those recorded as having died from these drugs were male, and the average age at which those people died was 48 years.
The Trimbos Institute reported that, compared with other drugs in the dataset, intentional overdose was more likely to lead to a fatality for someone who had died from an opioid than from any other type of drug. About one-third (33% of) of all deaths associated with an opioid (over 50% for men) involved an intentional overdose in comparison to only 10% of all deaths associated with other types of drugs.
Unknown drug deaths reported were also at the highest level (in comparison to heroin and all other drugs); in total, the reported number of deaths associated with unknown drugs grew from 45 in 2014 to 135 in 2024.
Other Drugs Have Mixed Results
Many other drugs, including stimulants like amphetamines, ecstasy, and MDMA, had lower overall drug-related deaths. Despite this, there was a slig.
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