rssSep 30, 2026, 04:00

Concerns over halting pilot program helping crack users with medication: "We cannot let this happen"

Amsterdam city officials are urging the Minister of Health to overturn a decision by the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate that halted a trial using dexamphetamine to treat crack addiction. Councilor Alexander Scholtes, supported by Mayor Halsema, argues that the medication is a vital and promising tool for helping addicts recover.

Amsterdam city councilor Alexander Scholtes has expressed significant concern following the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate's decision to halt a clinical trial involving the use of dexamphetamine to treat crack addiction. Supported by Mayor Halsema, Scholtes has sent an urgent letter to the Minister of Health, Public Health and Sport, urging a reversal of this decision. The local government argues that the medication is a promising tool that helps stabilize users, similar to how methadone functions for heroin addicts, and that its suspension leaves vulnerable individuals without an effective treatment option.

While the exact reasons for the inspectorate's intervention remain unclear due to an ongoing supervisory procedure concerning pharmaceutical production at the involved hospital, local officials are demanding immediate dialogue with the ministry. The city had recently initiated the study to explore how the drug could mitigate the intense withdrawal cycles associated with crack use. Scholtes emphasized that the city cannot allow this potential breakthrough in addiction care to be abandoned, as the treatment represents a critical path to recovery for heavily addicted residents.

Politics Health Amsterdam Netherlands

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Based on reporting by rss. Translated and condensed by LocalHeadlines.

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