UTDesignLabSniffing out the drug waste problem
Photo: Politie Oost-Nederland
Photo: Politie Oost-Nederland

Sniffing out the drug waste problem

Drug waste is a public health hazard and entails high cleaning costs. At the same time, there is insufficient systematic knowledge of this problem. DesignLab University of Twente is starting a new project, working with the police, the IJsselland environmental department (Omgevingsdienst IJsselland) and province of Overijssel to provide insight into production and disposal sites for synthetic drugs.

The aim of this experimental project is to gain a better understanding of locations and companies that play a role in the drug waste process, be it supply, production, storage, or disposal. These insights are intended to facilitate prevention and enforcement.

Psychology and data

Two student teams will work on the issue for six weeks using DesignLab's Science2Design4Society methodology.

One team will focus on providing insight into qualitative data on drug labs and waste in Overijssel. Based on interviews with investigators, students will try to get a better understanding of how the police tries to think like a criminal. A second team will analyse location data. The parties involved hope to identify "risk characteristics" and learn the predictive value of lab and drug waste sites.

DesignLab expects to share the results later this spring.

For more information, contact Project Manager Maya van den Berg at: m.m.vandenberg@utwente.nl.

dr. M.M. van den Berg (Maya)
Program Manager