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Amsterdam
Coffeeshops:
A coffeeshop can best be described as a café where soft drugs may be sold.
Although the sale of soft drugs is an offence, low priority is given to
the prosecution of coffeeshop owners, provided they sell small quantities
only and meet the following conditions:
No more than five grams per person may be sold in any one transaction;
No hard drugs may be sold;
Drugs may not be advertised;
The coffee shop must not cause any nuisance;
No drugs may be sold to persons under the age of 18, nor may minors be
admitted on the premises.
The mayor of a city has authority to close coffeeshops which do not meet
these conditions.
Drugs policy:
The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport coordinates Dutch policy on
drugs. The main objective is to prevent drug use and to limit the risks
associated with it. The Ministry of Justice is  responsible for combating
drugs trafficking. The justice authorities and care agencies cooperate
at both national and international level.
Dutch policy on drugs makes a distinction between cannabis and hard drugs
(e.g. heroin, cocaine and synthetic drugs), based on the different health
risks. The number of drug-related death in the Netherlands
is the lowest in Europe, as emerged from a study
performed by the European Monitoring
Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction
in Lisbon.
More detailed information about Dutch policy on drugs can be found in
the booklet 'Q&A Drugs', published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
which is available on the ministry's website: www.minbuza.nl. For
more information on the topics discussed in this article, contact the
Ministry of Heals, Welfare and Sport: www.minvws.nl.
Links:
> Coffeeshop.pagina.nl >>>
> Smokers Guide to Amsterdam >>>
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