C.S. Barendregt

Drug Consumption Rooms in Rotterdam: An Explorative Description

The Rotterdam Drug Monitoring System used survey data, fieldnotes and interviews with staff to investigate the functioning of four (out of six) consumption rooms in Rotterdam. The results show that for most drug users, access to the drug consumption room results in less frequent drug use in public places and more time and rest. Pass holders value being able to use drugs safely inside, and make use of the additional services provided, such as refreshments, washing/showering facilities and talking with others about their personal problems. Two ‘weak points’ reported by the drug users are discussed in relation to their personal health situation and public nuisance reduction.

Tracing selection effects in three non-probability samples.

Snowball sampling and targeted sampling are widely applied techniques to recruit samples from hidden populations, such as problematic drug users. The disadvantage is that they yield non-probability samples which cannot be generalised to the population. Despite thorough preparatory mapping procedures, selection effects continue to occur. This paper proposes an interpretation frame that allows estimating the direction of selection bias after data collection. Critical examination of the recruitment procedure and comparison with statistical and non-statistical external data sources are the core features of the interpretation frame. Applying the interpretation frame increases insight into the reliability of the results and allows to estimate where selection bias may have occurred.

A drug monitoring system: Keeping a finger on the pulse by triangulation of qualitative and quantitative methods

The aim of monitoring is to keep a finger on the pulse. In this article, we focus on a drug monitoring system (DMS): a local research system, continuously collecting data on hard drugs, drug users, and related issues. The methodology of the drug monitoring system combines qualitative and quantitative methods, i.e., community fieldwork, interviews with key informants and a bi-annual drug user survey. The system has been developed inductively: theory and methods were developed from daily practice. The present article aims to provide a scientific and methodological foundation for a DMS. We incorporated questions with respect to internal and external validity. The following strategies have been applied to meet the criteria of ‘trustworthiness’: triangulation, prolonged engagement, persistent observation, member checks, peer debriefing, negative case analyses, thick description, and reflexive journal. Methodological triangulation used in a complementary model appears to be an important tool.

Homeless Drug Users in Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Profile, Way of Life, and the Need for Assistance

Decreasing the number of homeless drug users is one of the main characteristics of inner city drugs policy. The present study selected an urban-ethnographic perspective (the subculture theory) in order to explore why one drug user is homeless and another 7 not, and to attempt to describe and define the homeless and their immediate social environment. These issues were formulated into the following research questions: What are the sociodemographic characteristics of homeless drug users in Rotterdam, and do they differ from domiciled drug users? What are their living conditions? What are the reasons for being homeless? Does the period of homelessness play a role in the need to change ones lifestyle? Five research methods were employed for this study: a literature search, interviews with key persons, field notes from community fieldworkers, a survey among drug users (n = 204), and photographic reports from six homeless users. Data were collected in 1998/1999. The results document that in our study population there were more women, more illegal persons, and more foreigners than among domiciled drug users, and that the homeless group used heroin and cocaine on more days. A large proportion of the homeless users had no identity papers and no health insurance. This did not, however, lead to more self-reported sickness or a higher prevalence of infectious diseases compared with nonhomeless drug users. Easily accessible (low threshold) social care centers and assistance are very important. Few of the homeless had voluntarily chosen a homeless life—most describe an event that was a trigger for their homelessness. The average duration of being homeless was 17 months, and the longer someone had been homeless the less inclined they were to change their situation. This paper also discusses policymaking implications.