Amsterdam urges health minister to rescue crack treatment study

Amsterdam's mayor, Femke Halsema, has urged the government to intervene and support a groundbreaking study aimed at treating crack addicts with a medication typically used for ADHD, known as dexamphetamine. The Inspectorate General of Drugs (IGJ) has halted production of the drug at a Dutch hospital due to ongoing supervisory procedures, though they have not disclosed the hospital's name or the duration of the investigation. The IGJ spokesperson expressed concern over the quality of the medication.

Amsterdam City Council had previously expressed interest in initiating the dexamphetamine treatment for crack cocaine addiction, similar to the methadone approach for heroin users. This initiative has been endorsed by Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht, following initial research suggesting the potential benefits of the treatment.

Halsema and Alexander Scholtes, the alderman responsible for healthcare, have written to Health Minister Sophie Hermans, urging her to review the IGJ's decision and find a way to ensure the study can proceed. They emphasized that suspending the production of the drug would be catastrophic, as it would eliminate the most promising method for treating severely addicted individuals. Scholtes stated that the city cannot allow this highly promising treatment to be lost.

The city council noted that the suspension of production was "unexpected and for reasons that are unclear to us," but the IGJ argued that their investigation had occurred prior to the experimental program's initiation. They requested a meeting with all relevant parties before November 1 to discuss potential solutions. The IGJ affirmed their respect for the independent judgment of the Inspectorate General of Drugs while expressing concern about the impact on the city's crack users.

Amsterdam's healthcare authority (GGD) estimates that between 3,000 and 9,000 individuals in the city are crack addicts, many of whom are homeless or suffer from mental health issues. The Trimbos institute and addiction support service Mainline reported three years ago that there were approximately 27,900 problematic crack users in the Netherlands.