As Brits reduce drug offences, Amsterdam wants tourists to stay away from drug sex and rock 'n roll
Amsterdam has apparently had enough of its reputation as Europe's sex, drug and rock'n'roll capital. Amsterdam Deputy Mayor Sofyan Mbarki recently announced a series of policy proposals aimed at tackling what he calls 'tourist nuisance', which aims to prevent visitors from flocking to the city for holidays hedonists. Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema set this train in motion by proposing a ban on cannabis cafes for tourists.
The 'discouragement campaign', which is expected to launch in the spring of 2023, aims to ban cannabis use in public places, stop or limit weekend weed sales and curb organized pub crawls as well. than street prostitution in the red-light district by moving the windows of brothels away from the city's central station.
The initiative aims to "actively discourage international visitors who intend to 'go wild' in Amsterdam", which has been dubbed the 'stay away' campaign.
Some companies misuse Amsterdam's image to sell it as a place of 'unlimited possibilities'. As a result, some visitor groups believe it is a city where anything goes,” Ms Mbarki said in a statement. communicated. “This type of tourism, as well as offers specifically targeting these groups, is not considered desirable by the municipal executive. »
The policy proposals, which are part of a larger initiative to tackle mass tourism, are due for a vote by the city council on December 21 before being signed into law.
Meanwhile, in the UK
People who use cocaine and cannabis for the first time will not be prosecuted, but will be offered education or treatment programs, according to proposals drawn up by the National Police Chiefs' Council and the College of Policing .
As in Portugal, the police would agree to take no further action against people caught in possession of illegal drugs for the first time.
The plan, however, is already seen as controversial, according to the Daily Mail, as it pits police and public health officials against the government, which seeks to take a "three strikes" approach to recreational drug use. The Conservative government's option, if approved, could mean that users of recreational drugs and cannabis could be banned from traveling abroad, banned from driving or electronically tagged.
Critics have called the government's proposal too harsh on first-time offenders, noting that confiscating passports makes their punishment harsher than for thieves or more serious criminals.
