Comments on: Dutch Ban Smoking In Amsterdam Cannabis Cafes

By: raa digger

raa digger — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:50:40 +0000

WHO WANT THE AMERICANS VISITING YOUR COUNTRY ANY WAY ! STAY IN AMERICANT

By: Scot

Scot — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:53:07 +0000

As an expat living in Netherlands I can confirm a few things.

The smoking ban really hasn’t changed anything- any coffee-shop worth their salt has simply put up a “rook zone” (smoking zone) where staff “don’t enter” (altho it’s very rare to see a coffeeshop employee without a spliff in his mouth in my experience!)

The Dutch agreed to the EU enforced smoking ban but as usual, showed pragmatism in the face of adversity.

It’s worthwhile to note that pure cannabis joints (i.e. containing no tobbaco) are not restricted by this law and you can still puff these standing at the bar of your favourite coffeeshop.

Hooray!

By: jools

jools — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 07:52:11 +0000

the smoking ban in pubs is ludicrous you are more likely to suffer harm from a drinker than a smoker.
How many marriages have broken up due to drink loads
How many fights at closing time have been cos of fags none but loads after a skinful.
How many kids have lost a parent cos of some drunken yob??
Its time we looked at the drinking culture not the smokers
I am not anti drink but more laws should be in effect to stop out of control drinkers.

By: Zein

Zein — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:27:42 +0000

i think this proposal is outrageous and for anybody that has said that this is to protect the workers in coffee shops then you need to get your heads sorted, people who work in coffee shops most likely smoke weed and dont mind it been smoked infront of them so why would they need to be protected from something they smoke anyway?

but i think that this article may be wrong anyway, i have heard that the law is that you are not allowed to smoke anywhere that serves food or drink, in which case coffee shops just stop selling food or drink and they will be exempt from this. the only bad thing about that is that you will need to go somwhere else to get your munch food and a cure for dry-mouth.

also im not sure how many people are aware of this but a lot of coffee shops in holland have been told that they have to close down, the government has said that (i think) any shop within either a 1 or 2 mile radius (not sure which) of a school must cloase because they do not want to encourage youngsters to smoke cannabis.

By: simon

simon — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:08:24 +0000

matt you need to get urself a g.f if u go there 3/4 times a year

By: karen

karen — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:11:16 +0000

call yourself xxx amsterdam ( what a joke )

——
M&A
Artemis
Can you please choose another username to avoid confusion with another poster.

By: Padawan

Padawan — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:30:08 +0000

just looked again at the conditions and it seems your only allowed to smoke pure weed…………………..RESULT!!!

By: Padawan

Padawan — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:25:52 +0000

there is designated smoking areas in every shop, cafe etc however you may not be served in these areas (coffee food or whatever). the smoking areas would be completely shut off from the non-smoking areas so no worries. peace

By: Chaz

Chaz — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:30:00 +0000

Fuck all of yall who dont smoke the green king. I tell you now that you better let me smoke my bleezy or ill blow you up bitch ass hoe

By: richard lapoint

richard lapoint — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:53:28 +0000

that is the most ridiculous thing i have ever heard that is the only reason any1 from america would ever visit that country

By: joeyb

joeyb — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:56:42 +0000

why why why ,the goverments f***** let us smokers smoke toke , get high till we die ….dont like it dont go ther.

By: doggybag19

doggybag19 — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:16:39 +0000

this is dreadfull, all my dreams of running a chilled out coffeeshop in the midst of hectic amsterdam have been crushed!

i totally agree with james webb -swindon fair enough ban smoking in every public place other than coffeeshops, after all there meant for getting baked oh well lifes a beach!

By: carla

carla — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 06:54:08 +0000

Here in Canada restaurants and pubs put up areas where there was a enclosed smoking area. When our smoking bans came into effect many thought they would lose alot of business but found the opposite to be true. In Amsterdam a enclosed room seems to be the best solution.

I personally find tobacco smoke both offensive and harmful and resent the fact that I cant say no in public places. I have just as many rights to a clean air space as the smoker who wishes to toxify mine. To stay home or not frequent a business at times just isnt an option or viable.
Perhaps a new strategy such as my suggestion needs to be discussed amoung the MPs there eh!

Carla

By: Emmie

Emmie — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 12:05:58 +0000

i could not be happier that the smoking ban has come into place in areas such as restaurants and bars cos i hate it when i am enjoying a lovely meal with my friends until someone sparks up a ciggy at the table next to me, but to ban smoking in a place which is purely designed for smoking is just ludcrous. if you do not smoke, then don’t go in there. i have been to Amsterdam a few times now and it is the most amazing place in the world, not just the cannabis but also the culture. i fear that once the smoking ban comes into place then it will not be just the coffeeshops that are loosing out but also the tourists. i also do not think it is fair that because a group of MPs that think it is a good idea to discriminate against us smokers, people lives will be dramatically affected. have they even thought about those people who run a coffee shop as a living, how are they going to cope when their business goes under? i mean lets face it, once the smoking ban is in effect people aren’t going to want to go to Amsterdam just to get some weed and smoke it out on the street and why should we have to! we havent done anything wrong, it’s not as if we are blowing smoke into people’s faces! you have to be 18 to enter a coffee shop and if you are 18 then you are an adult and old enough to make up your own mind as to whether you smoke or not. every coffee shop has a door and if you do not smoke weed then don’t enter. it’s not as if you could accidentally stumble into a coffee shop thinking it is a cafe. even the staff are smokers for christ sake! i am so gutted by this smoking ban and i think it is the worst thing that could happen. what’s next, are they going to ban the women working in the red light district aswell.

By: nik

nik — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:50:12 +0000

wounded were going b4 then hahahahahahaaaaaa : )

By: Paddy

Paddy — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 04:34:37 +0000

CANT BELIEVE IT…JUS CANT nooooooooo
: (

By: james webb -swindon-

james webb -swindon- — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 16:18:42 +0000

i cant believe what i am reading here, surely coffe shops are the biggest tourist attraction in the dam??? i for one have been there over10 times and if i didnt want a smokey enviroment i would not go so surely that is the case…

IF YOU DONT SMOKE DRUGS, THEN DONT GO TO A AMSTERDAM COFFEE SHOP AS THEY ARE MEANT FOR DRUGS!!!!

I UNDERSTAND AT A REASTARUANT BUT YOU CANT SMOKE WEED IN THEM ANYWAY SO JUST DONT GET IT

By: chris

chris — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:45:59 +0000

I’ve never had a problem with there being smoke-free establishmetns for those who want them. But when it was proposed to let bars decide smoking policy for themselves, the Antis screamed there had to be a “level playing field.” Translation: If people have the choice, more people will choose smoker-friendly bars and that would destroy the propaganda which says the vast majority of the public supports smoking bans everywhere.

By: supsayer

supsayer — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 01:33:53 +0000

i find those with completely polarised views either way to be most scary in this debate…hiow on earth can a smoker not consider that their smoke may be harmful to others…even just smoke in the eyes is a real annoyance to most people…me for one am happy that now i cna go to my favourite restaurant and eat wihtout some philistine lighting up ans making me and my baby daughters cough…..on the other hand, i feel that people do have a right to choose and so a blanket ban and criminalising people just further isolates and marginalises…i am a weed smoker and would not be happy were the coffeshops in Dam to be affected….personally i think tobacco is nasty… but i and others should be able to make a choice and yet still protect the health of others…a blanace is required rather than a roughshod approach.

By: annetje

annetje — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 14:45:10 +0000

Yesterday there was a demonstration against the smoking ban in Amsterdam. There’s also a petition with about 100,000 signatures. Similar protests are also happening in Germany and England.