The driver of a car pulled over on suspicion of driving under the influence said he had not been drinking much, but had eaten a large quantity of chocolate-covered cherry bonbons. It happened Wednesday night on Rijksweg-West in Arnhem, when police saw the vehicle "swerving and driving slowly."
He was given a breathalyzer test, which measured a quantity of 275 micrograms of alcohol per liter, about 25 percent over the legal limit.
More and more people in the Netherlands do not drink alcohol at all or at most one glass per day, thereby complying with the Health Council guideline on alcohol use. Women and older people are most likely to comply with this guideline, according to the Lifestyle Monitor by Statistics Netherlands in collaboration with public health institute RIVM and the Trimbos Institute.
Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema asked the government to come up with new legislation so that the capital can limit the sale of alcohol around entertainment areas. She hopes that this will help decrease the problems caused by partying tourists. The number of tourists and day trippers visiting Amsterdam is expected to increase from 20 million this year to 32 million in 2030, Halsema said in a letter sent to the city council along with the annual crime figures on Monday.
While student associations like Vindicat in Groningen made agreements to reduce excessive alcohol use among its members, doing so in practice will prove to be difficult. Because student associations are financially rewarded by beer breweries and other alcohol providers for selling more alcohol to their members, RTV Noord reports based on its own research.
Around 25 shops and liquor stores in the Red Light District will not be allowed to sell alcohol on Wednesday afternoon in the run-up to the Champions League match between Ajax and Chelsea. Bars will be allowed to serve alcohol, but only for consumption in the bar. The municipality of Amsterdam hopes to prevent problems caused by drunk football fans, Het Parool reports.
While alcohol remains the number one cause of addiction problems in Amsterdam,young adult residents of the capital are drinking less than they did in 2000. There are also fewer smokers, though cocaine use increased, according to the newest Antenna, an annual study by Jellinek and Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences into the alcohol and drug use of Amsterdam young adults, Het Parool reports.
Former Diemen alderman Jorrit Nuijens was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs when he was arrested at the Amsterdam city hall on June 20th, according to a blood test done by the police. Nuijens posted a photo of the police letter stating that no punishable substances were found in his blood on Twitter. A spokesperson for the police confirmed to NU.nl that the letter is authentic.
The number of Dutch adults who smoke and drink are slowly decreasing, but the number of overweight people in the Netherlands is still stable, according to the Health Survey and Lifestyle Monitor for 2018 by Statistics Netherlands and public health service RIVM. Last year 50 percent of Dutch were overweight, 22.4 percent smoked at least sometimes, and 9 percent were heavy drinkers, NU.nl reports.
The municipality of Groningen is teaming up with the seven largest student associations in the city, including Vindicat and Albertus, to reduce alcohol consumption within the associations. There is a "too strong alcohol culture" within certain associations, and that must change, mayor Peter den Oudsten said to RTV Noord.
A co-pilot scheduled to fly a commercial flight departing Schiphol on Sunday was stopped by police for alcohol consumption. The 51-year-old man was detained at the airport and issued a spot fine of 3,400 euros after breath tests showed an alcohol content three times higher than the legal limit for flight crews.
Some 14 percent of the entire Dutch population can be classified as "problem drinkers", according to the Trimbos institute. These are people who have problems because of their drinking, like failure to meet obligations or driving under the influence, the Telegraaf reports.
"Of the 80 percent of the population aged 18 or older who drank alcohol in the past year, one in six can be considered as risky drinkers This corresponds to 1,790,000 people or 14 percent of the total population", according to the institute.
Teenagers in the Netherlands start drinking at a later age, though those who do consume alcohol don't drink any less than in previous years, according to a study by newspaper Trouw, the Trimbos Institute, the Jellinek addiction institute, and the Netherlands Institute for Alcohol Policy.
A couple from Houten was killed in a serious accident on the A44 near Nieuw-Vennep on Saturday. A third person was seriously hurt. The man suspected of causing the accident, a 32-year-old man from Oestgeest, was under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time. He fled the scene of the accident on foot, but was later caught by the police.
The Varendonck College in Asten and Someren is going to start using breathalyzer tests on their pupils. The VMBO, HAVO and VWO school believes that an increasing number of pupils are drunk in class, Omroep Brabant reports.
The school has acquired breathalyzer tests, but hasn't yet used them on pupils, rector Irma van Nieuwenhuijsen said to the broadcaster. "If we suspect that a pupil is drunk in the classroom, we want this option", she said.
Dutch kids are still among the happiest in Europe and tend to have a good relationship with their parents, but more are experiencing pressure from their school work, according to a study by Utrecht University, the Trimbos institute and SCP. The researchers also found that the majority of 16-year-olds drink alcohol despite being underage, and that condom use is declining, NOS reports.
Navy corporal Iris Homan from Hengelo was found dead in a swimming pool on the island of Curacao on May 21st. Her husband Bart D., also a corporal in the Dutch navy, was arrested. D. is not suspected off murder or manslaughter, "but of a certain negligence that led to her death", a spokesperson for the Public Prosecutor on the island said to De Stentor.
A 30-year-old man from Amsterdam was arrested on Saturday morning for driving under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested at a police station in Zwolle, where he drove to pick up a friend who had also been arrested for drunk driving.
The Amsterdam man "forgot" that he was over the limit himself, the police said according to NU.nl. "He could also visit the police station after a short ride in his car."
The man's 39-year-old friend was arrested during the early hours of Saturday morning. He was under the influence and driving without a license.
A KLM pilot was arrested at the airport in Oslo, Norway after an alcohol test. The pilot was set to fly from Oslo to Schiphol. KLM refused to comment on the pilot's identity, or give any further details about the arrest, AD reports.
"We do not want to go into this matter any further because an investigation is ongoing", the airline said in a statement on Sunday, according to the newspaper. "In general we can say that at KLM alcohol and flying does not go together. Safety is always our highest priority."
The Red Cross advices King's Day celebrators drinking alcohol to remember to also eat well. Every year Red Cross first aid workers treat many people who get into trouble due to alcohol consumption in combination with little food and fatigue, the Telegraaf reports.
The aid organization also advises partiers to wear comfortable shoes on King's Day to prevent blisters.
There will be first aid posts at most events throughout the Netherlands, for people who do need help. The Red Cross is present in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and Den Bosch, among others.
The police arrested a pilot who was under the influence of alcohol at Schiphol Airport on Monday morning. The pilot was preparing for takeoff when the police removed him from the plane.
A breathalyzer revealed that the pilot had 0.9 per mille alcohol in his blood, while the limit for flight personnel is 0.2 per mille. Airline personnel are also not allowed to consume any alcohol 10 hours before a flight.
Amsterdam police chief Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg is annoyed at a number of supermarkets in the Red Light District, that bought extra beer and liquor to sell to English football supporters who came to the Dutch capital to watch the Netherlands vs England practice match. These supermarkets did not take their responsibility to prevent drunken football hooligans rampaging through the city, according to him, Het Parool reports.
Employers organizations MKB-Nederland and VNO-NCW want the Dutch privacy law to be extended so that employees in more professions can be tested for alcohol or drugs. They also want companies to be able to request more information from sick employees, ANP reports.
Currently only employees in certain professions - like pilots or train drivers - can be tested for alcohol and drugs. But according to the employers, making allowing this for more professions will make it possible for companies to better guarantee safety.
The Red Cross calls on Carnival celebrators to dress warmly in the coming days. The cold weather combined with alcohol consumption can quickly lead to hypothermia, according to the aid organization, NU.nl reports.
A study by the Red Cross revealed that only about a third of Dutch can recognize all symptoms of hypothermia immediately. So the aid organization decided to share tips on how to avoid it.
A 32-year-old woman from Norway was sentenced to six months in prison, three of which conditionally suspended, for attacking KLM cabin crew members after they refused to serve her alcohol on a flight to Panama two weeks ago. The sentence is equal to what the Public Prosecutor demanded. The woman also has to pay 5 thousand euros damage compensation, the Telegraaf reports.
