Report: Alpha Quick Scan: a Search for Flakka

In recent months, Mainline conducted a Quick Scan into ‘flakka’: the street name for cathinones such as alpha-PVP, alpha-PiHP and alpha-PHP. The Quick Scan is a search for the causes behind a local health crisis and significant social unrest around flakka. With this report, Mainline hopes to contribute to structural solutions for the mostly marginalised people who use the various alphas.

background

During 2022-2024, several alphas were popular among marginalised people in, among others, West Brabant and Zeeland. Users experienced serious physical and mental health problems, including weight loss, lung damage and psychosis. Additionally, the local community experienced many nuisances from people using alpha.

the search

As part of the Quick Scan – conducted on behalf of the National Rapporteur on Addictions – Mainline spoke to 47 people with experience of use and 15 people who come into contact with alpha professionally. The interviews highlighted the impact of alpha use on health, quality of life and environment. We talked about access to harm reduction and care, the burden on the police force and the impact of banning various variants of alpha. And about ways forward.

Scarcity

Our report describes the impact of the various alphas (the drug), but also the characteristics of the target group using these substances and the context in which they do so. What stood out was people’s psychological vulnerability (set) and strong marginalisation (setting). Scarcity plays an important role in this: there is insufficient access to shelter and care. And because of this, the police also have a heavy task in solving many crisis situations. In our recommendations, we therefore call for an investment and revaluation of social care.

the ban

The biggest ‘peak’ in alpha use was over by the end of Mainline’s Quick Scan. This was partly due to the ban on some variants of alpha in 2024. As a result, the price of the drugs increased, and accessibility and quality decreased. In our report, we consider these developments in the market in detail. In doing so, we warn that the structural problems of the people at stake have by no means been solved. The introduction of a new, strong and cheap drug – such as a synthetic opiate – could once again cause major problems among this target group. With this in mind, our report urges us to push for structural solutions for homelessness, problematic drug use and mental health problems.

We hope this report and our recommendations contribute to finding those solutions.