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Smoking Ban To Hit Amsterdam Coffee Shops

on June 9, 2007 2:41 am / 100 comments

A new Dutch law which comes into force in July 2008 will ban smoking in all Amsterdam coffee shops, the government decided on Friday.

Amsterdam is a hot spot for tourists as relaxed laws allow the possession of soft drugs, such as Cannabis. Although Cannabis is officially banned in the Netherlands, consumers are allowed to carry less than 5 grams in their possession.

Coffee shop owners believe the laws will not effect their business as it applies to tobacco and Cannabis can be smoked pure.

“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.”

“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.

However customers will be allowed to smoke in separate rooms or glass partitions to protect staff from second hand smoke.

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Daniel Limberg

Banning smoking in Dutch coffee shops is like what Martin Sheen said about Col. Kurtz in Apocalypse Now, "bringing someone in for murder charges out here is like handing out speeding tickets at the Indy 500."
tally

they should make sum somking cafes and others none somking so people have a chioce.its that simple
ben

this is just wrong, amsterdam is a free place of choice. if people wanna smoke let them smoke. the employees of the establishments knew the situation when they decided to work there. obviously only smokers would want to be around that smokey environment. if u didnt like it and was concerned for your health you wouldnt have applied for the job.
Andrew

People who go into coffee shops are generally smokers already. If you dont smoke stay the fuck out of the coffee shops and go in a cafe, itss that simple. Your economy will go to shit if this has any effect on cannabis in coffe shops.
Vizjun

Who cares "Coffee shop owners believe the laws will not effect their business as it applies to tobacco and Cannabis can be smoked pure." the important thing is that cannabis is still good 2 go
Jerry

That's absurd. Protect the employees from second-hand smoke? Something tells me that anybody who would work in a coffeehouse is already a smoker. We're all adults, why should the government tell us what's best for us, that's our decision to make.
smokey joe

The ban isn't so bad, they will still be able to sell the stuff and provide an area to smoke it in, something unavaliable in the U.K. I cant see many people getting too stressed out about it after a few smokes!. Amsterdam is still the place to go for good weed, i don't think this move will deter many people from visiting however i hope this isn't a small step towards totally outlawing the selling of weed. Hey, there are always the mushrooms!
BCBRyan

This ban is actually a good thing.. When i was at the Dam every coffe shop you walked into had more second hand smoke from tobacco than from weed. This will make the shops more like vancouver. The only thing is those europeans are gonna have to learn to cure their bud longer and not smoke it with tobacco! Good step for everyones health.
steven galbraith

i think that if the amsterdam goverment ban smoking in the coffee shops then most of there tourism would go down a steep incline.After all thats where most of there money comes from,not to mention it,s why over half a million tourists go to amsterdam every year.
Danny

i think its bullshit. being a young stoner i will never be able have the full adam experience. the law should not change, or have seperate cafes for seperate likes. a certain amount for blazin and certain amount smoke free. simle as. it will be all them jackass non-smokers complaining about getting cancer after standing next to some1 at the bus stop who was smoking. galbraith made a good point about tourism although it will take a steep decline rathr than incline :S lol. peace.
Fred

yeh man it pretty much sucks im trying to leave the us before this goes into efect
perry

This saddens me. I lived in Amsterdam for a year and loved it. There was no problem with cannabis. I was learning Dutch to go back and stay, but I think I'll stop. Amsterdam is a nice city, but there are many nice cities in Europe I can go to. I'm just glad I got to experience Amsterdam and its coffeeshops when I could.
dan

there doin it coz the ppl workin in the coffee shops and passive smokin and all that sh*t!!! even tho everyone that works in a coffee shop is a stoner, no doubt about it!!!! but there might be a few saps that dont smoke so its not because they think weed is bad its the tobacco in the joint that they think is bad which is right!!!
JAKE BROWN

BIN TO DAM ITS THE CREAM GOING BK BEFOR THE BAN BUT STILL DONT BELEIVE THERE IS ANY POINT IN THE STUPID BAN U DONT SEE PEOPLE GOING INTO PUBS OR BARS WITH A SEPERATE ROOM FOR DRINKIN BECAUSE THE STAFF MAY NOT LIKE THE SMELL OR ALCHOL AT ALL DO YOU? PEOPLE WHO DONT SMOKE GENERALY DONT GO INTO A COFFEESHOP AND IF THEY DO THEY KNOWS THERES GOING TO BE SMOKE AND ITS NOT GOING TO KILL YOU SO I DONT SEE THE PROBLEM
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US SMOKER

I have smoked cannabis for 13 years. I was going to visit Amsterdam to enjoy their lovely Coffee Shops to smoke their exqusite weed, but with this new ban (like the one in the US can't even smoke in a fucking bar no more) it will most likely keep me from visiting along with most of my friends. When this ban takes affect like most everyone else I believe they will experince a decline in the incoming tourisim & the steady flow of income for all there!

deviantdefiantmann

Please read the report carefully.. it's for tobacco, not for weed. READ first before spouting shit.

baz

Just got back, had a great time. With only just over a month to go before this ban comes into effect I saw nop signs of glass partitions or seperate rooms being constructed to protect staff from secondary smoking…hopefully this means that these wonderful places are just going to ignore the ban. The tourist trade that they cater for is just too profitable for the authorities to come down hard on them
http://google bazza_blue

if they banned smoking cannabis in the DAM there economy would be hit the hardest, the duth government need money brought in from tourism and lets face it if you couldnt smoke ganja who would realy want to go there, i wouldnt.
BaronZT

today amsterdam is know as the weed capital of the world .

and why, because people can buy there weed n sit n blaze it without any fuss. the only thing thia ban is gonna do is make people boycott dam because of the stupid laws.

i wanna be able to bunn a zoot n hill there n cane it blud. just have non-smokers, and blazers cafes, its is really siple as dat.

reppin for my north-west mandem

zoot troop fam for life , u get me

holla
jewl

BaronZT – your a cock! Go get some English lessons, you wannabe ‘G’
Steve

Hi,

I cant see them getting any preparation ready for this new ban even when the smoking ban hit the UK most companies and places took it rite up to the last day to get their patio heaters etc all ready. As its already been said if they cut weed out of amsterdam they would lose to much money and too many tourists. I think hardly anything will change and there will just be designated smoking areas.

Steve
H

I'm off to Dam on the 19th June.. just got it in before the ban!! Yeeehaaa!
JACK HERER

GOIN NEXT WEEKEND! !!!!!
htid_magoo

This is shit! I hope it is only the tobacco they're banning in Coffee Shops, I still hope u can smoke blunts =) Anyway, pure weed is muuuuuuch better than that dirty fag smoke! Im going to DAM for my second time on 24th June, so glad iv got in before the ban.. its fukin wicked out there!
Anne

I just book at weekend in amsterdam (and paid for it) and then I found out about the smoking ban. Hotel just told me I can not smoke in hotel room either….!!!! I am living in Ireland and we are allowed to smoke in our hotel room…!!
UK Person

Nightmare – Was planning a trip to Dam, but looks like I'll go elsewhere then. The smoking ban in the UK was a great success with 4 of our 5 pubs closing down 2 months after the ban.

I hear it has had a great effect in the clubs too, they don't smell of disgusting cigarette smoke anymore no, now they only smell of stale beer and body sweat which is obviously a lot better???
mary jane

Amsterdam is mint. got back last week. and im booking my second trip there in july. i dont care about the ban. its still available in coffee shops, itll blatently still be ok in some hotels especially the one i stayed in. (the winston) and its basically just a kick ass time!
mary jane

oh and the hash u get in stones cafe (40euros)

please.. please try it!!! unbelieveable!
Kags

The smoking ban in Britain has been a complete success in my opinion. So much nicer to go in pubs and restaurants without having to choke because of other people's foul, cancer-causing habit. Those who still wish to partake can do so outdoors and many pubs have created covered, outside areas for those desperately in need of a fix. Despite what 'UK person' said I've not known any pubs to close near me since the ban. If anything, it's brought more non-smokers out as pubs are no longer the unpleasant, unhealthy places they once were.

After getting used to the ban here, I visited Amsterdam in autumn 07, and found the smoky bars and coffee shops unbearable. Even the smokers in our group chose to be outside after a while, as it was impossible to breathe. I went home at the end of the weekend with a bad case of bronchitis, thanks to being exposed to second hand smoke.

We're planning another weekend away this October, and now are delighted about the Dutch ban as it means we can go back to explore more of the beautiful city of Amsterdam without being short of breath! Good decision!
Tina

There have also been pubs shutting in my local area due to the smoking ban.

I'm not too fond of walking past groups of drunken people outside pubs when I need to pop out either.
http://none Helen

This smoking ban is ridiculous!! Some guy from the government said "people shouldnt have to work in these conditions" or something along those lines. Surely if you decide to work in a cafe in Amsterdam you know that people are going to be smoking. Its like banning alcohol in a pub! Banning alcohol in the cafes was definately a good shout as idiotic groups of lads come over thinking they can drink and smoke cannabis and boy are they wrong!

Well, nobody has a straight answer as to whats going on but hopefully Amsterdam wont lose its magic – ilove the place!!
matt d lee

dont worry about the smoking ban as the ban is only on tobbaco smoking and there still allowed to sell weed, and they have to provide a smoking area where you can still smoke weed or tobbaco so its all good in the hood !!!!
Chris

I have been to Amsterdam numerous times and loved the 'Dam' experience. Unfortunately both Alcohol and Cannabis are expensive enough in Amsterdam (& London), and mixing it with tabacoo was not only a cheaper option, but mean't that you didnt smoke as much at one time.

For a weekend in Amsterdam I would usually take around £200 for spending, but due to the tabacoo smoking ban I should think that either people will have to smoke less or take more cash.

Although this may sound strange, I'm not completely against the ban though, as I don't smoke cigarettes, I just empty them out for joints & infact hate the smell of someone smoking a cigarette.

My 2 cents
http://na ben

it is obvious by some of the posts on this forum that once again the pathetic arguments put forward by weak minded individuals are the ones that are heard.

in response to you kags

if 'one' does not wish to suffer the terrible and inevitable bronchitis that one week away in the dam will definately cause, then perhaps 'one' should remain on 'ones' pedestal and leave the rest of the free populus to get on with it. try a different resort. and the end of the day you have and always will have the choice. some thing the smokers of amsterdam are not to be given by the look of it. if you were that upset at the coffeeshops you could have gone somewhere else like a cafe. if you do not feel you have the choice you should not be allowed to dress yourself in the morning.

The pub trade in britian in my experience has suffered greatly, it certainly has in my local, where old faces would regularly come in everyday, drink about 6 pints and smoke cigarettes afetr work. all of these people now stay at home, only to be replaced by the discerning non smoker, who sings the praises of the smoking ban, then leaves after 1 drink. do the maths. my local is now virtually dead all week, and whilst the clientele have become more varied, i would say that the overall atmosphere and the sense of locals being an extension of friends or in some cases family has now been lost. all exclusions do is tend to leave a cold, less homely feel, which was certainly not in the mind of the original publicans when the phrase 'public house'was coined.

i am trying to go back this june because i feel that the essence of this wonderful place will be lost once nanny governments and restrictions on freedom are brought in.
Nexa

I maybe the legal age to drink in Amsterdam, but I'm not yet old enough to smoke, which mean I won't get to enjoy the full Dam Experience which my and my friends were planning for next Summer.

For me, smoking ban is not a successful thing. Having to walk past a pub with a large group of drunks shouting and fighting when they all stand outside for a fag. All the smoking ban has done here in the UK for me, is increase violent drunks on the streets.

But Amsterdam, weed capital of the world, it just won't work out. If tourists don't want second hand smoke, why go into a coffee shop, when there are perfectly good cafes.

Smoking bans just ruin business's, and for Amsterdam their income from the many tourists that flock there every year. If UK was like Amsterdam when smoking ban came in last year, this country would be dead, and who would suffer for it. Us. The government would just have shoved more Tax's in our face to pay for their own stupidity.
Tim

maaan, there be some dumb peeps out der. Fucking right wing twats. Anywho not 2 worry, ganja's still gona be da high grade in dam and its still gona be much easier 2 aquire than in most other countries. Quit ur jibber jabber n bun sum chalice yall. Smoking up da high way, its the highest grade, get into my heaad. Smoking marijuana, pon da corner or in a sauna. Peace n unity 2 all my herbalists, igh grade specialists out there. Freedom will prevail! RASTAFAAAARI
Pauline

re Kags,

What on earth were you doing in a coffeeshop if it wasn't to smoke weed? You say it'll be good to be able to explore the city without being short of breath, but you went into a coffeeshop, which is well known as the place where people smoke. That makes no sense to me!

Regarding the ban, it's ridiculous. Every coffeeshop I went into, the people behind the bar were smoking as they worked. You wouldn't take a job in a coffeeshop if you weren't ok with smoke inhalation, you wouldn't even apply for one! The argument that their employees should be able to be smoke free is stupid – if you don't like it, get a job in McDonalds or something!
pinko

Amsterdam is not just a "Tourist Resort"… Amsterdam is the city where all the positive thinking of the great "Hippy Generation" created a warm nest for those who always dream of being in control of them selves… of being free.

With actions like this, I see no respect from politicians to these people. I just feel that some of them only want to create a "political correct" self image so they look more powerfull. This doesn't disapoint me… it makes me angry!!!

I don't want to explain to the next generation what me and all the other 60's and 70's hippies where fighting for, by showing them oldish books but by showing them in reality (even if it's a cheap touristic replica by our times). Crowd control needs only one thing… to make people believe that they have no choices…

Excuse me but i don't like that.

Greetings from a Greek hippy… peace!!!
Robert Woodburn

Weird shit!
http://smokedacafe.com Hash

at the end of the day every 1 knows wat we go amsterdham for!! wat goes in amsterdham stays in amsterdham… smokin a joint undercover der aint gona be the same buzz blazing it in the coffe shops wiv drink in ur other hand… were gona miss that!! DONT BAN IT!!!
Blazin' Saddles

Hahahahaha. what a dickweed!

Stop trying to be Black. Your a skinny Whiteboy Smokin' a half gram Spleen while searching forums.

Get a life and stop using the word 'BLUD'for adressing people, when someone hears that they automatically know ur a cock.

P.S

Fuck the Dam, Cane it up in Egypt.

(But bring your own Green)! (BYOG)!

(unless you like DIRTY SOLIDS…YUCK!)
Blazin' Saddles

YO TIM.

Look at you chatting all that shit about Ghana as if you had a clue. some people must agree with me here cos i HATE it when people just chat cliches about cannabis, and little soundbytes they stole off Harold+Kumar and Chris Tucker.

AND GET IT RIGHT!!! 'CHALICE' IS THE FUCKING HOLY GRAIL, CHARAS IS THE SHIT U SMOKE. AND By The Way, IT MAKES FOR A FUCKING SHIT SMOKE AND YOU GET BLACK SHIT ALL OVER YOUR HANDS.
Spaced

All I see is stoner kids bitchin at each other. How many of you have ever grown this plant we all love so much? Have you ever made charis?

You kids just smoke and bitch.
gregk

i've been to the dam 3 times and going for my 4th at start of july and dont think the smoking ban will make much difference, if you read the story instead of the headline you'll see that you can still smoke in the brown cafe's so whats all the stressing about.

last time i went was october last year, after the smoking ban came into force in the uk. me and most of my mates smoke cigarretes and were surprised by how shit it is to sit in a restaurant or food cafe and have smokers sitting around you. i think the smoking ban in these places is a good thing but obviously its not in the brown cafes.

as for kags, i really dont have a clue what your on about, you must be soft as shit if you got broncitus after a few days of passive smoking, sit outside if its that bad ye weirdo.
Sofie

I think the smoking ban is ridiculous!

I have personally never been to the Dam but was hoping to go out November time this year for a friends birthday!

But i dont think i will bother now, why would I want to go to another country to go outside and smoke?

Thats why everyone goes there to blaze in the cafe's.

I can just smoke at home in the warm.

AND smoking ban in the UK should be lifted. It's a joke!

My local pub put up heated lamps and shelter in the gardens for customers to then be told he has to take it down or the pub gets closed! Whats all that about?

Are we just meant to freeze our asses of completely then or what?
http://rinfforums crowbag

got back from the dam 7 june,no sign of any change.if u havent been to the dam dont let the ban stop u because most coffeshops got outdoor seating anyway.and sofie yeah u can sit it the warmth of your own home,but probly smokin shit weed. the weed in the dam is in a league of its own.fuck the ban get to the dam
Darning

I can't see it working myself.
http://n/a benson

hey listen up i bein 2 the dam severeal times, this ban is the same as the uk,just a tobbaco ban, so basically if u roll a joint with tobbaco in it ur brakin the law. so smoke a bong or pipe or roll em pure! the dams quality it will be no different good weed good vibes good times!
peter

there is that is the stupid thing a Café is non smoking and a cofeeshop is smoking.
Northhigh

The no smoking in coffee shops only affects tobacco smoking. In A-dam you will still be able to smoke as much ganja you want, only you wont be able to mix it with tobacco.
A'dam

This whole thing is EU pressure on Holland to conform to EU standards. Holland has a long tradition of community rights/self determination. That is how the whole coffee shop thing got going in the first place, marijuana and hash are technically illegal but if your community decides it is ok for them, viola, coffee shops. Same will happen here, the Dutch government takes the political stance in line with the EU, then the individual communities take their own action. Unfourtunatly the mayor of Amsterdam right now is Jewish and pretty conservative so it makes things like this a little harder, but just because there will be no smoking in restaurants and bars that are high profile, tourist spots, doesn't mean you will get busted for smoking at the less touristy coffee shops and the late night, hard to find clubs that make Amsterdam what it is.

the Dutch act like they are in line with the EU, but in the end they do what they want in their country, and the EU gets so much from NL (especially for it's size) that they won't bitch after the fact.

so I predict I will be smelling plenty of second hand smoke in Amsterdam for a long time still, and I don't smoke ciggs.
Red Army

Just returned from dam last nite, i go few times in the year so i know coffeeshop owners well, they have all said that inside is pure smoke only, if thay have seating areas outside it will be ok…seems not evryone has seating areas aoutside so alot of em will be just bongs and pure weed joints….also have sadi they some of em dont care and will carry on as normal…what will they do..break up the joint to see if its got fag in it…stupid law but keep chuffin !!
Daniel (Hackney)

you know what i say FUCK the ban im goin out there for da second tym in august and you know what im gonna get my WEED and TOBACCO and roll a nice fat doobie, kick back, relax and just blaze till my hearts content FUCK the DUTCH GOV-ER-MENT let them give me as many fines as they want i prob wont pay em anyway

Much Love & Peace

Daniel
Daniel (Hackney)

[quote post="461"]The smoking ban in Britain has been a complete success in my opinion. So much nicer to go in pubs and restaurants without having to choke because of other people’s foul, cancer-causing habit. Those who still wish to partake can do so outdoors and many pubs have created covered, outside areas for those desperately in need of a fix. Despite what ‘UK person’ said I’ve not known any pubs to close near me since the ban. If anything, it’s brought more non-smokers out as pubs are no longer the unpleasant, unhealthy places they once were.

After getting used to the ban here, I visited Amsterdam in autumn 07, and found the smoky bars and coffee shops unbearable. Even the smokers in our group chose to be outside after a while, as it was impossible to breathe. I went home at the end of the weekend with a bad case of bronchitis, thanks to being exposed to second hand smoke.

We’re planning another weekend away this October, and now are delighted about the Dutch ban as it means we can go back to explore more of the beautiful city of Amsterdam without being short of breath! Good decision![/quote] AND THIS PEOPLE, IS WHAT WE CALL A STUPID BITCH. Dont go to the dam if u CANT HACK it's main source of income(other than the glorious red lights). As for the smokers that didnt like the smoke DICKHEADS SHOULDN'T SMOKE THEN. i (as i said yesterday) have been to heaven on earth and it was smokey.

The "quote" is what KAGS wrote and in no way represents my views on the dam as you have probably read.

one last time "KAGS IS A PUSSYHOLE"

Much Love & Peace

Daniel.
Louise

[quote post="461"]Much Love & Peace

Daniel.[/quote]

Oh the irony!
abi

LOL, Louise I couldn't have put it better myself!
Sarah

Well, yet another country enters the realm of insanity or is it just a case of monkey see, monkey do and there I was thinking that the Dutch Government were unique and free in their way of thinking – living/governing outside the controlling box we all seem to be entering through no choice of our own.

As much as Amsterdam has to offer – beautiful architecture and sights to be seen – lets be honest with ourselves, there's really only one reason people go so often – the coffeeshops!!!!!

Allowing the smoking of pure cannabis/weed as opposed to smoking it with tobacco really cancels out the good intentions of this law. Will there not still be "the harmful effects of smoking" for its employees to contend with. Its a bit like the hideous laws over here in Ireland whereby one cannot smoke inside the premises but yet can purchase the demon ciggies from vending machines supplied by the very same premises. I agree with the same suggestion of many of my fellow smokers who took the time to post their views – if you dont like smoke filled rooms/bars/coffeeshops – for the love of God, just dont go into them!!!!! Do we, as smokers (and adults at that) not have the same rights as the non-smokers of this world?

The Dam was my salvation in this world gone mad – NOW WHAT???
James

You plonker!

As a smoker i find it quite disturbing that these laws are so strict, almost predujice, they wernt complaing when they were raking in the millions of tax. if your not a smoker amsterdam caters for that with its cafe's, its a beatiful city with lots to see and do without cannabis but if at the end of a long day exploring you fancy a smoke istead of the most evil of all drugs (alcohol) your punnished.

its a sad sad day that the most sensible of all countrys i always thought, jumps on the not so clever EU bandwagon due to political pressure.

james
jon

i hate the way we cater to the majority and forget the minority! we make all these "sugar free, organic, smoke free" things but forget people still like the original things
spudcore

the smoking ban will cripple amsterdam cus people go there to have a smoke and chill its a joke just like england this whole world is becoming a joke what ever happend to our rights if we wana smoke we should smoke if people dont like ur smoke then dont go there :)
SCOTT

A SMOKING BAN IN AMSTERDAM LOL.I KNOW IT IS DISCRIMANATING TO SAY THAT YOU SHOULDNT WORK IN THE COFFEE SHOPS IF YOU DONT SMOKE WEED BUT PEOPLE DONT!! YOU WOULD ANNOY LESS PEOPLE IF YOU BANNED THE VISITORS WHO ONLY WANT A CUP OF COFFEE AND DONT SMOKE DOPE.
chris

Double dutch again. Weed is more carcinogenic than fags.

Politicians should stay away. I'm gonna ignore the lot and do as I please. Weed smokers shouldn't care, we'll just get more fucked and upset others in Amsterdam. I may even fall asleep in the streets. I thought my goverment where stupid.

Well done!!!!
Lee

Nothing to worry about really guys n gals….the biege-ists of this world will never wipe out the minority, like myself, who believe it's our right to have freedom and choice, and i do mean smokers and non smokers alike.

Read on:

DutchAmsterdam.nl — First this: On July 1, 2008, a smoking ban will come into effect in all horeca (hotel, restaurant, and catering) businesses in the Netherlands.

The smoking ban also extends to other indoor businesses, including airports, shopping malls, cinemas, sports arenas (but not while a retractable roof is open), discos, nightclubs, other music venues, and so on.

Coffee shops — those Dutch establishments where you primarily go in order to use cannabis( with the exception of 'KAGS' i believe) — are subject to the same law as well. And, depending on what you smoke, that is both good and bad. More about that in a moment.

Designated smoking areas.

Restaurants and other so-called ‘hospitality venues’ can set aside designated, enclosed areas where smoking is allowed.

However, in those areas, no service is provided.In other words, if you want a drink or something to eat, you have to venture into the smoke-free zone, place your order, and porter it back to the smoking den.

Smoke-free Coffee Shops?

The smoking ban is a ban on smoking tobacco.

Hence horecarookvrij.nl, the official smoking ban information website set up by the Ministry of Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport includes the following:

From July 1, can I still smoke in a coffeeshop?

Answer: Coffeeshops also are subject to the tobacco regulations and thus must be smokefree. They too can set up designated smoking areas.

- Source: horecarookvrij.nl, last accessed June 4, 2008. Translation: DutchAmsterdam.nl

What about cannabis? There’s been quite a bit of confusion on the issue (naturally, since government types are involved).

Still, a call to Postbus 51, the centre for public service information in the Netherlands as provided by the Government Information Service, confirms that the smoking ban refers only to tobacco.

It does not prohibit the smoking of, say, cannabis or hash.

Pure weed

This explains why, when we called a dozen coffee shops in Amsterdam to learn about their after-July-1 smoking policies, we received various answers (which will remain unattributed):

“We’re too small to have a designated area, so people can smoke whatever they want. There will be only some 40 inspectors for all of Holland so the chance of getting a fine is low.”

“You will still be able to smoke anything from cigarettes to joints to hash, as we have designated smoking areas.”

“Technically you won’t be able to, I think… but I’m not sure. Then again, I think that since it is a tobacco law you will be able to light up pure joints… And who’s to say whether or not you put some tobacco in it as well?”

“It’s a tobacco law, and right they are. That stuff is nasty! Very unhealthy! We are constructing a designated enclosure for anyone who’s addicted to that stuff. But when it comes to pure weed, man, you can smoke it here. No problem!”

So there you have it. Though our current conservative government types are toiling night and day to try and come up with new ways to make life miserable, come July 1st you and I will still be able to sit back and relax at your favorite coffee shop. Light up a joint. Smoke some hash. But by all means, don’t smoke any tobacco — unless you go to the designated smoking enclosure. Remember, tobacco is addictive as well as bad for your health.

By the way, many coffee shop also sell a variety of (fresh) juices, a selection of health food, and — generally — excellent espresso and cappuccino ;)
http://rinf.com john

i am visiting the dam in nov,its the first time in 20 years.

what about the pubs that used to allow the smoking of hash will they still allow pure cannabis to be smoked on the premisis or what.
Lottie

I think it's a shame that something that was part, and still is very much a part of, Amsterdam's culture has been disallowed due to the government's ideas of 'health'. Whether or not you believe smoking is bad for your health, if you are not a smoker it is none of your business. If it is directly affecting you, then it becomes your business, but as previous posters have pointed out, you can stay away from the coffee shops. It is not for you to criticise or blame people who smoke, just as smokers wouldn't criticise you for not smoking – it is a right, and one that is being taken away along with everything else. We are free-thinking people, smokers and non-smokers alike, and should be allowed to make our own decisions regarding our health and what we want to do with our lives. If we listened to everything the government says about what is supposedly 'bad' for us, then what would we be allowed to eat, drink or smoke?

On the other hand, however, something that Amsterdam is theoretically going to do is provide another room or partition so that smokers can still smoke inside. This is admirable, as in the UK we don't have anything like that. At least they are trying to make it as comfortable for smokers as they can, although as others have pointed out some of the coffee shop owners will probably disregard the ban.

Amsterdam is a beautiful city, and there are lots of reasons to go. While one of the main reasons is to enjoy the freedom of being able to smoke indoors, there are lots of other reasons to go. I can't see Amsterdam getting as much tourism after this ban is implemented. A year ago, who would have thought being able to smoke inside would be a tourist attraction?? It just goes to show how ridiculously petty this government and the British people have become, and how weak we all are for lying back and taking everything that the government decides to do.
LenQz

The ban is only for tobacco smoking, and nothing will change if you wanna smoke pure weed.

So I don`t understand why some of you people are complaining.

Tobacco is bad for you.. :)
jimmy

this ban is stupid but straight green is the wayas for the goverment crying bout the workers wellbeing they dnt bane overweight people from wrken at mcdonals or kfc evan know they have an eating habit and are prone to eat whatever smells good why dnt they do background cheaks on blokes before they employ them as bounces at nightclubs ,pubs mabey not as many people would get braindamage from testostrone filled fuckwits that are angry at the world they dnt usualy care y n
jimmy

this ban is stupid but straight green is the wayas for the goverment crying bout the workers wellbeing they dnt bane overweight people from wrken at mcdonals or kfc evan know they have an eating habit and are prone to eat whatever smells good why dnt they do background cheaks on blokes before they employ them as bounces at nightclubs ,pubs mabey not as many people would get braindamage from testostrone filled fuckwits that are angry at the world they dnt usualy care y now
trixibelle

do the coffeeshops still sell pre rolled joints?
Gavin

I have just returned from Amsterdam and it is not as bad as we all think,smoking of cigs total ban everyhere which is understandable however there are still some coffee shops out there that still allow u to roll with cigs which was all good,all they have done to get around this was to build these shabby looking slide doors on the inside to have a smoking and non-smoking area,yes the ban is silly considering there laws but the laws in Holland are too relax to enforce properly which again is all good.trixibelle,yes some or most of the shops do still sell pre rolled joints but its always better to do it yourself.
Gavin

yes they do trixibelle.
steph ireland

grass smoker for the last 20 years the ban in the dam is a disgrace but at least they seem to be catering for us with areas away from the staff heading next month for a few days so will let ye know
heath

im in amsterdam right now and let me assure you the coffee shops are still great. this smoking ban has not affected us stoners smoking herbs in the coffee shops. you just gotta go outside if you want to smoke a cig
jay

iv been 30 or so times this place will never die :)off in two weeks cant wait but get your weed from haarlem :)15 min away but 15 times beter
Chilled Dude

Here is a poem

Ye man its real groovy, have a tug on this man, WOW, it popped my molecules man, ye man, its really hip and trendy.

Right – enough of that – back to your real lives – BUMMER!
Padman

[quote post="461"]If anything, it’s brought more non-smokers out as pubs are no longer the unpleasant, unhealthy places they once were.[/quote]

I sorry but you must be from another planet as we have had loads of pubs close in the midlands and I have mates in london and there are pubs going every week, what would seem to be the get out of jail for amsterdam is that they are going to be able to smoke in sectioned off area's which is what they should of done in the UK, so for now it should'nt have same affect as it did in the UK but
D

ur a cunt
D

to Kags that is
Chilled Dude

The reason pubs are going belly up is the high tax on beers, this is all part of the EU adgender to try and destroy the English culture.

I must confess to me tobacco smells putrid. Most pubs have cosy smoking areas outside now which is probably healthier for everybody.

However, why is alcohol and Tobacco legal and less harmful substances such as cocaine not?

If an adult wants to shoot themselves up with hard drugs, so what, its their business not mine. right?

It never did George W Bush and even the the old English Aristocracy any harm.
mxmrsy

kags is a cunt !!

bung bung bung d ganja !!
dutchy

Yes they do 5-10euro a joint!

id like to know how much is the fine for smoking in SC??

and do SC get fine for letting you smoke?
greenhead

KAGS is a mug. Amsterdam is magic. If you dont like it then dont go there. Me and my missus have been six times in the last year. Seven this weekend. Loving it every time. We smoke where we like in england let alone in amsterdam. hopefully england will relax its laws one day? You got to die one day and breathing in someone elses smoke wont kill you anyway. Open a window and stop whinging. Passive smoking is theft actually so you should be paying me. Bitch.
ex-smoker

To accept authority is to become authority.

Who works for who here? I thought we voted for em and we pay their wages.. Don't get upset get angry grow some balls.
Chilled Dude

Why cant Druggies just do it silently?

I have no problem with people who want to smoke, drink, cut their own hand off with a saw so long as I do not have to see, hear, smell or know about it.

If I do have to experience i.e. see, hear, smell or know about it then it becomes my bag too regardless if I want it or not.

Can't druggies develop a way of taking drugs & slowly dying quietly out of sight and mind of the rest of us?
Chilled Dude

Cop tries choking to get evidence:

Yeah, pot is real bad if he were to have swallowed it, so the cop chokes him so he is made unconscious so he doesn't feel ill from the pot.

I guess the guy must have digested it real quick cos Cops are never wrong and here is the proof.

http://freestudents.blogspot.com/2008/10/cop-trie…

Why did he choke him, why not shoot his legs and get him to confess?

God I love America – land of the free and home of the debt slave.
stony

Yo guys,

Don't be scared about the ban in the coffeshops, it is still the same, nobody cares atm.

In Switzerland it has started on the 1st of october with nonsmoking bars. they told first no smoking bars will be allowed. But now we see there are.. This orders are just stupid all over the world the people are angry about them..

Let the Smokers Be! There are millions of other Problems in the World.
Chilled Dude

Look at it like this, its the same as a drinking ban in a pub.

Its like an injection ban in a heroine house.

Its like a penetration ban in a brothel.

In other words, the smoking ban is the same as a "smoked drugs" ban.

Just ignore it and introduce a mechanism of legal consent:-

Put up a "complaints" book in each coffee shop, and if someone signs it, move them out of the zone they object to. That way everyone in that coffee shop is consenting to the air quality of the shop, hence are consenting adults.
http://myspace.com/dankietokes420 Jocelyn

Coffee Shop Employers, if you dont want to be bothered by the secondhand smoke, DONT WORK THERE!
Chilled Dude

The UK's corrupt government has had to admit that in fact no body has ever died from Marijuana.

SCIENCE FACT 101:

More people die from eating food, than from smoking pot.

I advise you do eat the more dangerous food and run a greater risk of death and disease and keep your pot smoking to a minimum because its less expensive that way. LOL

Public notice (Please be aware to smoke responsibly in the presence of other non drug users (Drug Scum))
karen

i have been to amsterdam with my husband on anumber of ocassions and we have thourougly enjoyed ourselves but we wont b goin back there cos of this stupid law i thought u were supposed to be XXX amsterdam were everyone is so liberated obviously not
Jeff

Read before reacting people!

The article clearly states: "Coffee shop owners believe the laws will not effect their business as it applies to tobacco and Cannabis can be smoked pure."

Perhaps the delineation would be more clear if written: "Coffee shop owners believe the laws will not effect their business as it applies to tobacco only. Cannabis may still be smoked if pure (i.e. not mixed with tobacco)."

While true that those that smoke "normal" cigarettes will typically mix the two, because I am told they inhale more deeply(?), I would assume they can adjust their inhalation while on premises.
Ryan

I went to a.dam a couple of years ago before this ban started and my own guess is it wont change a thing.The sensible,more intelligent dutch coffee shop owners will just say go outside to smoke a cigarette but fine to smoke weed inside.Dont believe the hype.As if they will ever outlaw weed in amsterdam???????? You got to be a fool to believe it.
kelsi

i think it's stupid!!!!!! i have always wanted to go to A.dam, and if i can't smoke at the coffee shops i'm gonna be pissed!!!
ryan

How on earth can you make an ordinary PLANT illegal???????

Why doesnt America just ban ciggaretes too?? I will tell you why they wont, coz they are making so much money off the people in the world.

All i can say is that this is very unfair for the people that dont smoke tobbacco.

One love man!
benny

i think it is just stupid, if you applied for the job in a coffee shop then you would know that there will be people smoking in there. if not then you just a bit slow. dont ban smoking just say that people should read the job description first.
NC Stoner

This is completely fucking retarted, no smoking in a coffee shop? Thats the eqivalent of them blowing off they're arms, they're only fucking themselves.

-Legalize Cannabis Worldwide-
Steve

*Sigh* It's the ban SMOKING IN BARS not coffee shops.
http://bebo Ed

com on its amsterdam dont go there if you dont like it. bithches
Mr gherkin

Fuck that,I'm 14 and have smoked ganja every now and then for about a year and tbh it's about as harmful as eating at kfc. No one dies from it but tobbaco induces more deaths than any other substance in the world combined.if they outlaw it fully then they might aswell illegalise alcohol,fags and fat food.They will never outlaw tobbaco because for alot of 3rd world countries it is the sole income and if made illegal it would basically kill the country.tobbaco has been associated with many world tragedies such as the slave trade.was tobbaco helpful then? We should be free to have soft UNHARMFUL recreational drugs. Here is a fact.. The lethL dose of cannabis is 1500 pounds in weight. Good luck dying cause they only sell 5 grams at once. And with the economic crisis in hand ATM we could easily turn Round the deficit by legalising cannabis today.