One in four Dutch people suffer from chronic pain. Many of them use highly addictive painkillers, such as oxycodone and fentanyl, to alleviate their symptoms. But strikingly, this actually leads to more pain, and they become addicted. Treating pain is extremely complex. What works for one patient is completely ineffective for another. Renowned pain specialists speak candidly about the feeling of helplessness they experience when confronted with yet another desperate patient. Nearly all experts warn of the devastating consequences of long-term opioid use.

The Pain epidemic

Michael Magielse

Gas in de gevel

Seed without borders

It seemed like the ideal solution for the housing shortage and simultaneously the integration of refugees. One hundred and twenty-five young people and one hundred and twenty-five refugees, together under one roof: the mixed housing project Stek Oost in Amsterdam. The young people act as buddies for the refugees. Together they form a 'community.' But in practice, things are less rosy. We received various internal documents and were given access to the residents' WhatsApp groups. What signals, reports, and evaluations did the housing association and the municipality receive? Why didn't they intervene? And who are the victims of this housing experiment?

The living experiment

To protect children's rights, strict regulations have been introduced in the Netherlands to prevent children from later turning out to be the offspring of a mass donor. But does this legislation help if most sperm comes from Danish companies? Every year, more than a thousand Dutch children are conceived using foreign donor sperm. In online catalogs, prospective parents can choose from hundreds of profiles of men who donate their sperm. This sperm from Denmark is then shipped worldwide. Zembla investigates the consequences of this global sperm trade and speaks with donors, prospective parents, and the Danish CEO of the world's largest sperm bank.

Tens of thousands of homes each year are insulated with UF foam sprayed into cavity walls. The material is considered sustainable and is subsidized for its energy savings and climate benefits. At the same time, residents across the country are reporting serious health problems after installation, including headaches, shortness of breath, and eczema. In some cases, the symptoms are so severe that residents are forced to leave their homes. Experts are raising concerns about the carcinogenic formaldehyde in the foam. Zembla is documenting the complaints and investigating the health risks of this insulation method.

Insults, threats, and even fights with patients. Three out of four healthcare workers experience workplace aggression. What happens if they are physically or mentally injured? Who cares for them when the fear persists and the nightmares persist? Nurses who were strangled and held hostage by patients share their stories. Trapped by this workplace aggression, they feel not only unsafe but also abandoned. Good aftercare seems to depend on individual managers, and financial support is often lacking. This lack of support creates new trauma.

Gegijzeld tijdens de nachtdienst

In the Netherlands, there are hundreds of children and young people for whom agencies seem to have no solution; they are suicidal, violent, or labeled as unmanageable and are shuffled from one crisis placement to another. Now that closed youth care is being phased out at an accelerated pace and suitable alternatives are lacking, care providers are increasingly resorting to expensive emergency solutions such as long-term one-on-one supervision in remote locations. 17-year-old Lex, who has already been transferred more than ten times, shows how a system grinds to a halt when the most severe care needs can no longer find a place.

Kinderen die niemand wil

Episode 7

Zembla is a Dutch television documentary programme by VARA and NPS. The documentaries are based on in-depth research which can take months. The subjects are often controversial.

A documentary in 2001 about fraud in the Dutch construction sector led to parliamentary inquiries.

In May 2006 the programme exposed the fact that politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali had lied in her claim for asylum, which led to her resignation from parliament.

The Pain epidemic

Seasons32

Season 35 Episodes7

Cast1

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