In short
Drug Vibes – The Belgian Web Survey on Drugs is an annual web survey organised by the Drugs Unit of Sciensano. It investigates the characteristics of people who use drugs, aged 18 and older, who live in Belgium. The findings support the development of prevention and treatment strategies and contribute to public health policy.
Project description
Drug Vibes was launched in April 2019, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, to gather timely data on how people who use drugs were affected during this challenging period. Since March 2022 (wave six), the survey’s primarily focusses on the consumption habits, mental health, and socio-demographic characteristics of people who currently use drugs.
The survey includes specific modules about the last month use of the following substances:
- Cannabis
- Ecstasy/ MDMA
- (Powder) cocaine
- Ketamine
- Amphetamine / speed
Each of these substances is addressed in a dedicated module of the questionnaire, which includes questions on:
- Frequency of use
- Age of first use
- Motivations of use
- Amount consumed on a typical day of use
- Purchase channel
- Setting of use
- Adverse or negative health effects (since 2025)
In addition, the questionnaire includes general socio-demographic questions, as well as a module on alcohol, tobacco, and new psychoactive substance use. Lastly, it contains questions on treatment-seeking behaviour and self-monitoring strategies, along with a module on emotional wellbeing.
Participants are primarily recruited via advertisements on Facebook and Instagram, resulting in a convenience sample. As such, the results are not representative of the general population of people who use drugs. For national prevalence data on the use of drugs, we recommend consulting the Belgian Health Interview Survey, which uses a representative sampling strategy.
By linking behavioural data with socio-demographic characteristics, Drug Vibes provides valuable insights into drug use habits and helps track evolving trends. This information is essential to design targeted prevention campaigns, adapt treatment services to specific needs, and inform evidence-based policy.
The most recent results of Drug Vibes are available via the Drug Vibes Dashboard.
For more information or questions, feel free to contact us. Members of the press are asked to contact Sciensano’s media relations team.
