Ayahuasca and Public Health II: Health Status in a Large Sample of Ayahuasca-Ceremony Participants in the Netherlands
This survey study (n=377) assessed the association regular ayahuasca ceremony participation has with a person's health. Compared to normative Dutch data, regular participants in ayahuasca ceremonies showed better general well-being, fewer lifestyle-related diseases, more physical activity, and a more balanced diet. Ceremony attendees also used less alcohol over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic but they did use more illegal drugs than the general population.
Authors
- Jamie Hallak
- Rafael dos Santos
- Gonzalo Ona
Published
Abstract
Ayahuasca is a plant decoction in traditional Amazonian medicine. Its ritual use has been internationalized, leading to policy challenges that countries should address. This study evaluates the impact of regular ayahuasca ceremony participation on health by assessing the health status of 377 participants in ayahuasca ceremonies in the Netherlands using validated health indicators. A questionnaire was developed and administered to study participants. The questionnaire included several health indicators with public health relevance (e.g., BMI, diet, physical activity) and psychometrically validated questionnaires (ELS and COPE-easy). The data retrieved through health indicators was compared to normative Dutch data. Participants (50.1% women) were mostly Dutch (84.6%) with a mean age of 48.8 years (SD = 11.6). Compared to normative Dutch data, regular participants in ayahuasca ceremonies showed better general well-being, fewer chronic or lifestyle-related diseases, more physical activity, and a more balanced diet. Participants also used less alcohol during the COVID-19 pandemic, and although they used more illegal drugs than the general population, they did not report associated harms. Our findings suggest that regular participation in ayahuasca ceremonies is not linked to relevant health harms. This data could help drug policymakers to develop and implement evidence-based public policies.
Research Summary of 'Ayahuasca and Public Health II: Health Status in a Large Sample of Ayahuasca-Ceremony Participants in the Netherlands'
Introduction
Ayahuasca is a traditional Amazonian plant decoction typically combining a β-carboline–containing vine (Banisteriopsis caapi) with DMT-containing plants, and its ritual use has spread internationally. Previous clinical, experimental and observational work indicates a generally favourable acute safety and tolerability profile in controlled settings, low risk of abuse, and potential benefits for mood, substance-related disorders and overall well-being, but globalisation of ceremonial use raises public‑health and policy questions. In Europe, and specifically in the Netherlands, legal controversy around sacral use (for example the Santo Daime church case) has created a policy environment at odds with some scientific evidence, and no large-scale evaluation of regular ceremony participants' health had been conducted in the Netherlands prior to this study. Kohek and colleagues set out to assess the health status of regular ayahuasca‑ceremony participants in the Netherlands using a broad questionnaire of validated and standardised health indicators. The study aimed to compare participants' general and lifestyle‑related health measures with normative Dutch data and to explore coping strategies and value engagement among attendees, with the stated goal of providing data useful for evidence‑based public policy decisions.
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Study Details
- Study Typeindividual
- Journal
- Compound
- Topics
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- APA Citation
Kohek, M., Ona, G., van Elk, M., Dos Santos, R. G., Hallak, J. E. C., Alcázar-Córcoles, M. Á., & Bouso, J. C. (2023). Ayahuasca and Public Health II: Health Status in a Large Sample of Ayahuasca-Ceremony Participants in the Netherlands. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 55(3), 247-258. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2022.2077155
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