Bonger Institute
[English publications and Dutch publications with English summaries are shown here.For a full overview of publications, please refer to the Dutch section of our website.]
Changes take place swiftly in the European drug situation and in social drug research. To a large extent, these developments are fuelled by technological innovations. Like many other people, drug users, drug dealers and drug researchers increasingly make use of electronic devices such as computers, smartphones, laptops, tablets, the Internet, apps, etc. These devices share one thing: the screen. These developments mean that researchers no longer need to go to locations where drug users congregate to conduct ‘real life’ observations or interviews. Given these rapid technological developments and new opportunities, one could almost forget that, in most cases, people use drugs together with other people in a real life setting. The challenge for social drug research is therefore to find the right balance between street and screen.
Wouters, M. & Fountain, J. (Eds.) (2015) Between street and screen - Traditions and innovations in the drugs field. Lengerich: Pabst Science Publishers.
Korf, D.J. (2015) Real life and virtual worlds of drug users and drug dealers in social drug research: an introduction. In: Wouters, M. & Fountain, J. (Eds.) Between street and screen - Traditions and innovations in the drugs field. Lengerich: Pabst Science Publishers.
Nabben, T. (2015) From clubcultures to screencultures. In: Wouters, M. & Fountain, J. (Eds.) Between street and screen - Traditions and innovations in the drugs field. Lengerich: Pabst Science Publishers.
Rafaela Rigoni (2015) Surveillance Cultures, Chains and Holes in Street Level Networking: Dealing with Drug Users in Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Porto Alegre (Brazil). Surveillance & Society, 13(3/4): 497-511.
[DOI: ...]
Following a national study of nuisance and ‘tourism’ associated with cannabis coffeeshops and soft drugs in the Netherlands in 2014, the identified developments were investigated in more detail. This in-depth study refined conclusions reached in the first stage of the study regarding the extent of soft drug–related nuisance and its variations, as well as the local specificity of the types and scale of the nuisance, the types of people causing it, and the perceptions of nuisance in local populations. [DUTCH PUBLICATION WITH ENGLISH SUMMARY]
Nabben, T., Wouters, M., Benschop, A. & Korf, D.J. (2015) Coffeeshops, toerisme, overlast en illegale verkoop van softdrugs, 2014. Verdiepende studie in vijf gemeenten. Amsterdam: Rozenberg Publishers.
The empirical core of Nienke Liebregts' PhD thesis was an in-depth qualitative analysis of the trajectories of 47 frequent cannabis users. Taking a life course perspective as a main theoretical framework, the leading questions were: How and why do frequent young adult users increase, decrease or quit their use over time? And why do some develop or recover from dependence and others do not?
Liebregts, N. (2015) Cannabis changes: Understanding dynamics of use and dependence. Amsterdam: University of Amsterdam.
Van Amsterdam, J. Nabben, T. & Van den Brink, W. (2015) Recreational nitrous oxide use: Prevalence and risks. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 73(3): 790-796.
[DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2015.10.017]
Antenna 2014 describes developments in Amsterdam nightlife, as well as the corresponding trends in recreational substance use, using data from a panel study among trendsetters and a survey among pubgoers. While traditional neighbourhood pubs increasingly struggled to survive, dozens of new cafés have opened their doors in recent years. Pubs are frequented by a mix of mainstream, hip, trendy and gay customers, many of whom also attend dance clubs, festivals and party's.
[DUTCH PUBLICATION WITH ENGLISH SUMMARY]
Benchop, A. Nabben, T. & Korf, D.J. (2015) Antenne 2014. Trends in alcohol, tabak en drugs bij jonge Amsterdammers. Amsterdam: Rozenberg Publishers.
This report documents ‘tourism’ connected to soft drugs and cannabis coffeeshops in the Netherlands in 2014, as well as soft drug–related public nuisance, illegal sales of cannabis to drug users outside of coffeeshop settings, and drug running. It also maps the geographical distribution of those phenomena. [DUTCH PUBLICATION WITH ENGLISH SUMMARY]
Benschop, A., Wouters, M. & Korf, D.J. (2015) Coffeeshops, toerisme, overlast en illegale verkoop van softdrugs, 2014. Amsterdam: Rozenberg Publishers.
Danielle Chevalier's PhD thesis is about formalized social control in public space: it examines the different ways shared public spaces of everyday life are used and perceived, focusing on the manner in which the urge to control such space is operationalized, and how in turn formalized control effects the way space is produced and used. It does so triggered by the investigation of an archetypical Dutch phenomenon: local bans on the public use of soft drugs.
Chevalier, D.A.M. (2015) Playing it by the rules: Local bans on the public use of soft drugs and the production of shared spaces of everyday life. Amsterdam: Universiteit van amsterdam.
Van Amsterdam, J.G.C., Nabben, T., Keiman, D., Haanschoten, G. & Korf, D.J. (2015) Exploring the Attractiveness of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) among Experienced Drug Users. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 47(3): 177-181.
[DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2015.1048840]
Van der Pol, P., Liebregts, N., De Graaf, R., Korf, D.J., Van den Brink, W. & Van Laar, M. (2015) Three-Year Course of Cannabis Dependence and Prediction of Persistence. European Addiction Research, 21(6): 279-290.
[DOI: 10.1159/000377625]
In her PhD thesis Rafaela Rigoni descibes a comparative study analyzing the implementation of policies on so-called ‘problem drugs’ (crack cocaine and heroin) for the cities of Amsterdam (in the Netherlands) and Porto Alegre (in Brazil). It focuses on the discretion of street level workers from the social, health and law enforcement fields to analyse the dilemmas workers encounter in their daily interactions with drug users, and how they develop strategies to cope with them.
Quadros Rigoni, R. (2015) Between Care and Order: Street-Level Workers’ Discretion and Drug Policies in Amsterdam (the Netherlands) and Porto Alegre (Brazil). Rotterdam: International Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University.
Liebregts, N., Van der Pol, P., De Graaf., R., Van Laar, M., Van den Brink, W. & Korf, D.J. (2015) Persistence and desistance in heavy cannabis use: the role of identity, agency, and life events. Journal of Youth Studies, 18(5): 617-633.
[DOI: 10.1080/13676261.2014.992320]
Liebregts, N., Van der Pol, P., Van Laar, M., de Graaf., R. Van den Brink, W., & Korf, D.J. (2015) The role of leisure and delinquency in frequent cannabis use and dependence trajectories among young adults. International Journal of Drug Policy, 26(2): 143-152.
[DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2014.07.014]
Oteo Peréz, A., Benschop, A., Blanken, P. & Korf, D.J. (2015) Criminal involvement and crime specialization among crack users in the Netherlands. European Addiction Research, 21(2): 53-62.
[DOI:10.1159/000363737]
Benschop, A., Liebregts, N., Van der Pol, P., Schaap, R., Buisman, R., Van Laar, M., Van den Brink, W., De Graaf, R. & Korf, D.J. (2015) Reliability and validity of the Marijuana Motives Measure among young adult frequent cannabis users and associations with cannabis dependence. A ddictive Behaviors, 40: 91-95.
[DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2014.09.003]