Fighting mass tourism and giving residents back a better quality of life – that is the goal of the city of Amsterdam. A ban on smoking has now been introduced in the streets. The reactions are mixed.
The white prohibition signs hang on every street corner in Amsterdam’s old town. But not everyone has noticed that smoking weed in public is no longer allowed with immediate effect. A tourist says in passing: “Really? No smoking weed? And that in Amsterdam?”
But that’s exactly what the city council decided by majority. The ban applies in the inner core of the city – around the red light district “De Wallen”. And not only for tourists, but also for locals.
skepticism among local residents
Local residents are rather skeptical as to whether this will actually do anything. “It doesn’t bother me that they smoke weed here,” says one. “We’re used to it. We live in Amsterdam and we know that the air is dirty here – from weed, from smoking, from the traffic. And the tourists don’t even look at the signs.”
But there are also other voices: “We think it’s excellent that smoking weed is banned and clouds of smoke no longer drift through our homes. It’s that bad, but it has to be checked.”
Alcohol ban with little success
However, a passing woman wonders how the ban will be implemented: “How are you going to stop people from smoking weed?” she asks, “seriously! Should the police go around here and forbid them to do it? Never.” Anyone who does not comply with the new rule will initially only be warned. But the second time there is a fine of 100 euros.
Oscar Coster, who runs a bar in the old town, doesn’t think that’s very practical. He refers to the ban on drinking alcohol on the street, which has been in force for years. That was also a good idea to keep tourists away and curb noise and rioting, says Coster, but it did little. “The alcohol ban is not controlled. There are prohibition signs everywhere, but I never see law enforcement officers here,” reports Coster. “How’s that supposed to work with smoking weed? I wish them the best of luck.”
Coffee shop owners are “not amused”
The coffee shop operators are “not amused” either. They fear a drop in sales – although weed can still be smoked in their rooms and on the outdoor terraces. The ban hits the wrong people, says Joachim Helms from the Association of Cannabis Dealers. The stoners would not cause trouble, noise and crime on Amsterdam’s streets. “I think the stereotype that a happy stoner isn’t a rampaging stoner is true,” says Helms. “It would be more important to intervene if someone misbehaves on the street. It would be a win if this could be better monitored.”
For the city, the smoking ban is just one of many measures to combat mass tourism and give residents a better quality of life. Pubs must close earlier than in the past, and sex tourism is to be banned from the inner city and moved to the outskirts.
In the UK, Amsterdam has also launched a social media campaign. In it, party tourists and bachelor hordes are to be discouraged from traveling to Amsterdam for excessive partying with deterrent video clips. “Stay away” is the message of the short films: “Stay away from Amsterdam!”