News item | 22-05-2025 | 14:00
Drug use can seriously damage health with lifelong consequences such as addiction or psychological problems. In addition, the demand for drugs contributes to organized crime, such as explosions in residential areas and money laundering. State Secretary Karremans (Youth, Prevention and Sport) and Minister Van Weel (Justice and Security) are committed to a strict drug policy by reducing the supply and demand of drugs, preventing a new batch of young criminals and by acting hard against drug crime.
State Secretary Karremans: “We see that some groups are increasingly using drugs, such as young people who go out. Drugs are harmful to your health and cause problems in society. That is why we start a targeted public campaign. We want to make users aware of the harmful consequences that the buying and using illegal drugs causes.”
Minister Van Weel: “Drug trafficking is the earnings model of organized crime. The use of drugs maintains this criminal revenue model. Drug criminals have no limits and pose a direct danger to our society, our rule of law and our young people. We want to break this earnings model and help against criminal against (online) drug dealers.”
Campaign on negative consequences of drug use
Users don’t seem to realize that their use contributes to the damage that drug crime causes society. That is why the Ministries of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) and Justice and Security (JENV) are starting this year with a (target group) targeted public campaign. This campaign provides insight into the invisible account of drug use and shows what this does with your health, the environment and society.
Stricter action against online drug trafficking
Out research The Trimbos Institute shows that drugs are purchased through various online channels, such as encrypted platforms such as Telegram. It also appears that social media plays a major role in online sales. The government wants to combat this online range of drugs and therefore focuses on extra enforcement. As announced on Prinsjesdag, extra money is invested in the investigation of digitized crime. This extends the capacity in the digital investigation and there is more room for maintaining the online sale of drugs, so that criminals are picked up faster.
Protect young people against crime
Criminals often and like to abuse people in a vulnerable position, such as young people or people with debts. For example, young people are recruited on the street or via social media at a young age to transport drugs. With the Prevention with Authority program, the resilience of this group of young people is enlarged. The aim of this program is to prevent young people from coming into contact with, sliding or growing in crime. Young people get perspective again, for example, a course or a job. We set boundaries with the judicial partners, such as the police, the Public Prosecution Service and probation service to correct criminal behavior at an early stage and further reduce the recruitment power of criminals to young people.
The Weather Communities Program against undermining crime is also extended by four years. This project supports municipalities in increasing awareness about undermining crime within communities. Here, municipalities and the judiciary partners themselves are in control and determine what is needed in their context. With the continuation of this program, we ensure that communities become stronger against criminal influences.