MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th February, 2023) Amsterdam will ban the outdoor smoking of cannabis in the Red Light District and tighten the rules for alcohol sale and consumption in an effort to make the life of local residents more comfortable, Dutch media reported, citing the city authorities.
The new measures will go into effect starting mid-May as part of a new policy pursued by the authorities after numerous complaints by local residents, according to the Dutch News website.
The smoking of cannabis in public places would also be prohibited in the central part of the city from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. from Thursday to Sunday and the rules for alcohol sales in local shops would be tightened, the news outlet reported, adding that bars and cafes serving alcohol drinks would not be allowed to accept new visitors from 1 a.m.
The authorities intend to ban drinking alcohol in public places, restrict the work of brothels and take additional measures against drug dealers on the city streets, according to Dutch News.
The Netherlands has one of the most liberal legislation in the world in terms of drug control and prostitution. While the consumption of heavy drugs is prohibited in the country, selling and smoking cannabis are allowed and especially popular in the so-called Red Light District in Amsterdam. At the same time, the Dutch ports, being the largest across the European Union, are a preferred destination used by international criminal groups to smuggle drugs from South America.
