alcohol

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

Bored soldiers at the Oranje barracks in Schaarsbergen regularly entertained themselves with drugs, alcohol and even prostitutes, according to a confidential Defense report from 2015, which the Volkskrant has in its possession.

According to the report, soldiers also damaged or stole considerable amounts of Defense equipment, held 'informal hazing', and there was a high risk of bullying, exclusion and inappropriate sexual behavior.

There may be something to the term 'Dutch courage'. A study by Maastricht University, the University of Liverpool, and King's College London found that consuming a low dose of alcohol, improves bilingual speakers' ability to speak a second language. 

For the study, conducted at and funded by the University of Maastricht, researchers tested 50 native German speakers' ability to speak Dutch after drinking a low dose of alcohol. The participants are studying at the University of Maastricht and recently learned to speak, read and write Dutch. 

Between 2012 and 2016 alcohol consumption in Amsterdam decreased, but the use of hard drugs like ecstasy, cocaine and amphetamine increased, health service GGD revealed in its Amsterdam Health Monitor 2016, Het Parool reports.

For the Health Monitor te GGD questioned over 8,600 Amsterdam residents between the ages of 19 and 64 years about their physical and psychological health, daily habits and health care. The service then compared the results to a similar study done in 2012 and 2008.