Two southern Dutch town mayors have taken the dramatic step of shutting down all local businesses currently legally selling cannabis. It's the first time a blanket stop has been introduced in a Dutch town.
The two towns, Bergen op Zoom and Roosendaal, claim they are suffering from the nuisance caused by foreign tourists in search of soft drugs banned in their own countries.
In total eight coffeeshops, the name used for the outlets allowed to sell cannabis, will close their doors for good in the municipalities.
Neither of the two mayors are opposed to the sale or use of cannabis in principle. As far as they are concerned, it is the public nuisance that goes hand in hand with coffeeshops that they are trying to tackle.
"There are 25,000 drug tourists per week who visit these coffeeshops,"
says Mayor Han Polman of Bergen op Zoom.
"That leads to a lot of nuisance, and there are links to illegality, there's criminal activity going on. People in our cities are asking us to make the streets safe so we have no choice but to close the coffeeshops."
Peeing in public
For this reason, the closing of coffeeshops deserves the support of the Dutch national government, according to Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin, who says the measure "fits into our policy that municipalities themselves are best able to determine what is needed to combat public nuisance."
Cities in the south of the Netherlands have been grappling with mass drug tourism for years now. Annually, about 1.3 million soft drug users and couriers cross over the Dutch border from Germany, France and Belgium to buy marijuana or hashish in the coffeeshops. The drug tourists cause problems, say the mayors of Bergen op Zoom and Roosendaal, by driving dangerously, parking illegally and peeing in the streets.
New customers
To combat the same situation, Mayor Gerd Leers of Maastricht wants to move all coffeeshops in his city to the border crossings with Germany, Belgium and France. He disagrees with mayors who unilaterally close down coffeeshops without consulting neighbouring municipalities:
"We're simply moving the problem. We're pushing it from Roosendaal to Breda, and then from Breda to Rotterdam. And what's much worse, is that we're pushing the problem into the illegal sphere. The drug runners are celebrating today because they realize they've just won lots of new customers. The demand for cannabis won't go away, it'll just find a new channel of supply."
Coffeeshop summit
Leers has asked Justice Minister Hirsch Ballin to call a meeting with the mayors of all border municipalities. He believes the towns on the Dutch border are the victim of the difference in drug policies between European countries.
"It's key that we now make a clear decision here in the Netherlands. We have to ask ourselves, are we going to hold on to our own Dutch system and maintain a different drug policy from our neighbours, or should we say no, because of the problems this causes we can't do that anymore."
It's a fundamental question, with real consequences for the tolerant Dutch drug policy which has been in place since the 1970s.
Tags:
Bergen op Zoom,
coffeeshops,
drug policy,
hashish,
Maastricht,
marijuana,
Roosendaal
Steve,
28-10-2008
- USA
For us living in countries where cannabis is illegal, "driving dangerously, parking illegally and peeing in the streets" would be pretty acceptable offenses. Here when there is a rise in demand we have little children getting caught in gang turf wars and killed. I remember last year in a period of 2 weeks 3 children were killed by stray bullets in their homes, one at her birthday party. More US citizens have been killed in Chicago in the past 6 months than in Iraq. Most attributed to gang fighting. Give these scofflaws larger tickets and there is a nice new revenue stream for your town. Build a school with it. I know someone who was shot in the neck and spine (she survived and is not paralyzed) who was an innocent bystander who was walking down the street during a gang turf war. Chicago is not entirely a war zone as it may sound, but the poorer areas certainly are.
"Driving dangerously, parking illegally and peeing in the streets". Grow up and stop complaining until you have to deal with real problems.
Seamus,
28-10-2008
- The Netherlands
I just wanted to add that I didn't mean to say the Nazi's weren't horrible... the sentiment I wanted to express is that if something happens in human society, no matter how horrible, it shouldn't be off-limits to discussion and analysis of what happened in the past with what is happening today. If the world studied how the Nazis developed more intensely, maybe the world would have prevented the genocide in Rwanda and maybe the world would be doing something about the problems in Darfur. As it stands, however, people think the Nazi's are worse than any government in power today. Is that really true?
Dick Udell,
27-10-2008
- USA
Dear Moderator; Thank you for bringing this to my attention. My comments were indeed, a little to 'Harsh". Let me explain. Seyss-Inquart was a very clever Nazi administrator. He knew that the Dutch would 'Bow Their Backs', so to speak, to any overt, overly draconion measures. He therefore instituted minor, seemingly innocent decrees which appealed to the Dutch passion for legality. One 'innocent decree' led to another which eventually established a Nazi, authoritarian state. It is true that these 'supposedly innocent' anti-smoking laws were voted in by the democratically elected parliament but whats next? One little step leads to another until a country's constitution is 'Torn to Shreds'! In the past, I have stated that it would be more democratic to let the owners of these establishments decide the issue of weather or not, to be 'Smoking' or 'Non-Smoking'. However, in the interest of compromise, it might be more democratic to have an equal number of each type of establishment. That way, everone's needs are met. It would also be advisable if smokers would voluntarily sit 'Downwind' while smoking in these establishments, out of doors, thus being very considerate of the non-smokers rights and point of view. As is the Dutch custom, I have also learned to, 'Carry spare change around in my pocket', in regards to negotiations and also, again, apologize for my un-called for directness!
Dick Udell,
26-10-2008
- u
The latest polls show that 60% of the Dutch population think that these draconian new anti-smoking laws are inappropriate and undemocratic. Non-smokers are very happy. These happy non-smokers should read historian Lou de Jong's, 'State Institute for War Documentation' and see how law-abiding, Dutch citizens went along with 'seemingly innocent' regulations by Germany's occupation forces, which eventually nullified all of the Netherlands democratic principles and led to a totalitarian, fascist State!!! I wonder how they would like their rights being taken away in the interests of 'good health' or whatever? These so called innocent, 'good' laws are in reality, the first steps leading to a fascist dictatorship! Are the Dutch people going to allow a 'repeat performance' of the past. Review articles RNW News on the 'Good' & 'Bad' during World War II!! They are real 'Eye Openers'!!!
Moderator's response:
Dear Dick,
Thank you for your reaction. Are you sure the comparison between the smoking ban and Nazi laws is fair? The anti-smoking law was voted in by the democratically elected parliament of the Netherlands, while the discriminatory regulations of WWII were unilaterally enforced by the Nazi occupiers of our country.
Mikey,
25-10-2008
- USA
Geerd Leers is right, the best solution is to move them to the border. The Netherlands shouldn't give up it's policy just because other countries aren't as progressive. Eventually the other countries will legalize cannabis and the problem will go away entirely. For now, though, it seems the best solution is to move the problem right to the edge of the border. That keeps everyone happy.
Dick Udell,
24-10-2008
- USA
The answer to this problem is democratic and simple! Strict enforcement of the laws against 'Drunk and Disorderly Conduct'! First offenders should be given stiff fines! Second time offenders, one year prison sentences! Third offenses, 3 to 5 year prison terms! Why punish coffee houses? The Netherlands 'tolerence' policies are humane and democratic. Draconian measures will only give organized crime a 'Golden' oppertunity to make large profits and the offenders will still obtain and use the drugs anyway! Soft drugs should continue to be tolerated when used in moderation. Hard drugs are another matter entirely and their use should be dealt with with strict, rehabilitation requirements and/or prison sentences!
David Berridge,
24-10-2008
- Canada
This is an example of local officials responding to the concerns and needs of their citizens. While closing down coffee shops may feed customers into other channels of supply, better policing efforts should disrupt this new activity, preventing mass drug tourism into these communities, thus making them more liveable. The drug trade may not be entirely controllable, but something must be done when a community cannot properly function due to the mass volume of the open activities surronding open drug use. The best that can be hoped for overall is that the drug trade will be kept down to a level where it does not disrupt the day to day life of the community at large.
