Sex and drugs Amsterdam will change its image

This is not the first sign to prohibit the smoking of harmful narcotic plants, with which the capital of the Netherlands seeks to react to increased numbers of tourists. Other punishments are threatened by those who drink alcohol on the street and fail to reach the nearest public bath.

A boat ride with Cannabis

He wanted to spend the holidays, drink some cannabis and have fun, says a young man from Newcastle, who came here as a tourist. He's waiting at the Oceansides Voorburgwal, the spot where the Smoke Boats boats are anchored, directly across the entrance of a luxury hotel. Smokeboat is allowed to drink cannabis completely legally. Several times a day, the boat loaded with dozens of tourists sets out for a one - hour voyage through Amsterdam's canals, where the Wrights are accompanied by the drinking of cannabis.

Another Englishman, who has come to Amsterdam because of the flower garden fair and is now enjoying a free day in the red - light neighborhood, holds a cigarette with cannabis, John. He knows he's forbidden to drink Joint, but he doesn't think there's any cops coming to get him.

Tourists who want party not to come 

This summer's summer day is visited by many tourists. It is filled almost as before the pandemic period. Amsterdam is a favorite tourist target. Houses and channels built in the 17th century golden period are the heritage of U NESTO.

This year, it is expected that the number of sleeps in Amsterdam will reach 20 million. In 2021 the city decided that this figure would not be overcome, but the number of tourists is just one of many challenges. A growing problem is tourists making parties, making noise at night in the streets and narrow bridges of the city center.

To combat increased tourism, new rules have been set since February of this year. Public houses with windows, bars and neighborhood red lights should be closed two hours ago.

The city's parliament also decided to ban the docking of vessels in the city's centre.

In addition, an online campaign titled “is under way Stay Away”, who wants to contain the British eager parties to come here. According to one survey, visitors from Britain consume enormous cannabis. And there are those who eventually end up in the hospital or the police station, says campaign video “Stay Away”

Stop bullshitting.

The first steps, but they're not enough, Els Iping thinks from the civic initiative “Stop the de gekte”, Albanian “Stop the bullshit”. She points out that families with children still live in the city's historic neighborhood center. Els Ipin has been living here for 40 years and often needs to clean the front steps in the morning because some tourists cannot afford to mix alcohol with drugs.

Many visitors come downtown, not because of the beauty of the old neighborhood, says Els Iping, “but because of prostitutes in the window, cafes and street vendors, come to drink and be released by brakes”.

The climate, under which cannabis's liberal treatment and assisted prostitutes are no longer valid. There's been a public house with the window since 1960s, but when I came to live here they were very few. By then, there were many more shops and merchants. Today, everything here is about sex, drugs, and fast cooked foods, Fast Food. ”

Weapons After Limitations

For a time, members of the civic initiative “Stop de Gegkte” had patrolled the neighborhood. Dressed in warning vests, they reminded tourists who were loud at night that people who want to be quiet in the old neighborhood live perfectly normal. And most tourists responded friendly by apologizing.

But the patrol's been gone a while. Owners of locals who do business with sex, drugs and alcohol and who were forced to shut down their activities two hours ago blamed citizens for the loss of the initiative, pressured and reviled them. If you meet Els Iping in the evening in the De Wallen district, it doesn't go long until one of the neighborhood employees with red lights screams at you, swearing.

Tourism in Consumer Society

Geerte Udo is director of the marketing firm Amsterdam & Partners. She points out that Amsterdam no longer requires marketing because the city has become very popular. But she admits, that recent years of mass tourism has become a problem for Amsterdam as well. “in every city should be respected local culture, we've put this thing aside ten-five years ago.” But some people think that in consumer society, they can do whatever they want because they pay.

Offerings and Requests

Amsterdam wants not only to confront tourists who come to make parties with bans and rules, but also change bids. For years it has been proposed that tourists ban cannabis consumption and that prostitution be expelled from the city center. Thus, by the end of the year, there must be a new location for sex workers in one of Amsterdam's peripheral neighborhoods. But this plan is not accepted by many sex and local employees, who say the situation in the suburbs is more dangerous.

As for cafes selling cannabis, Coffee Shops, citizens like Els Iping demand that the city implement the laws. According to them, cannabis should be sold only for people living in Amsterdam, so far the city has made exceptions to this law. As to the question of whether the new rule, to close activities two hours ago, has brought change, Els Iping says yes: “People living in the heart of the red - light neighborhood, have found that the situation has improved, especially at night. ” /dw