Amsterdam's Smoking Ban

[Jim Finnel]

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - A Dutch smoking ban will come into force in July next year for all restaurants and cafes -- including coffee shops where cannabis is the top attraction, the government decided on Friday.

"Coffee shops will be treated in the same manner as other catering businesses. They will be smoke-free," Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende told NOS television.

"It would have been wrong to move towards a smoke-free catering industry and then make an exception for coffee shops. People would not have understood that."

Establishments will not in fact have to be completely smoke-free. Proprietors will be allowed to set up a separate room or glass partition behind which people can smoke, but customers will not be served there to protect staff.

"Employees should not have to work in an environment were they are constantly exposed to the harmful effects of smoking," Balkenende said after the cabinet's decision on Friday.

Amsterdam's renowned coffee shops, where marijuana can be smoked openly in a relaxed atmosphere, are one of the city's big draws for tourists.

Coffee shop owners argue that the ban only applies to tobacco and was unlikely to hit them hard.

Whilst commonly mixed with tobacco, marijuana can also be smoked on its own, especially in pipes, vaporisers and other contraptions.

Soft drugs are officially banned in the Netherlands but under a policy of tolerance, buyers are allowed to have less than 5 grams of cannabis in their possession.



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Website: Amsterdam To Ban Marijuana Smoking

 

[Herban Legend]

Damn, Damn,Damn,DAMN!
American influence can really suck sometimes. I hope we don't loose our Mecca for smoking pot in the open. I hope they fight this til the end and end up with a compromise that will be on the ganja smokers' side.

 

[CustomMX6]

If they do that, they better not allow cig smoking....


fuck.

 

[Keith Lake]

Political correctness run amuk

Let the people make their own decision of what they eat (transfat), smoke (refer and/or cigs), and love (man/woman)

Let the people be free

 

[The Mad Toker]

Here you cant smoke in any restaurants or bars period. Even outdoor patios if they have somthing like 30% of the patio covered you cannot smoke.

 

[dutchboy]

duh, not good for amsterdam buisness?i was gonna go spend some time there.lol, that sux!

 

[fallen]

"
Coffee shop owners argue that the ban only applies to tobacco and was unlikely to hit them hard.
"


It only applies to tobacco.. so all you potheads can still go.

 

[onwi]

Same ban went across hongkong this year and alot of businesses have either had to set up smoking rooms or just plain lose business. Not much you can do in this totalitarian world of ours where protection goes to those who dont need it. i mean come on, if you're going to a marijuana cafe, obviously you're gona be smoking or not mind that theres smoke there. LOL. government decisions r gay.

 

[malibu420]

Really quite sad, we take one step in the right direction for cannabis freedom, then two steps back. Not kool

malibu

 

[Pinch]

As a Californian I couldn't agree more. It's one thing to smoke but quite another for innocents to have to share those poisons in public venues. The TRUTH.. second hand smoke kills.

Hoo-rah for Dutch! Better late than never.

What's "sad", "sucks", "gay" or "not cool" about not killing yourself or others? You guys got to get your priorities straight.

 

[MarkOfCainBand]

It seems to me that they are banning smoking all together including pot. And the coffee shops will have special areas to smoke but no service in the areas. Thats what people don't like, not the tobacco ban.

I could also be misinterpreting the article.