Availability of Syringe Exchange in The Netherlands, 2012

Harm Reduction

"Estimates from Mainline (a grassroots organisation for drug users in Amsterdam) and the Trimbos Institute suggest that there are approximately 150 needle/syringe exchange programs in the Netherlands. This is a rough estimate because for some cities it has been reported that pharmacists are also exchanging syringes. There are also reports of merging of several sites as well as closure, which may cut down the estimated number, however, new estimates are not available. In Amsterdam and Rotterdam trend data on the numbers of syringes that were exchanged are available from the municipal health services. In both cities, a decreasing trend in the number of exchanged syringes is observed since many years (see figure 7.3.1). The small and unexplained increase observed in 2008 was not continued afterwards."