Rotterdam closes nearly half of its coffeeshops

Coffeeshops Near Schools Face Closure

The city of Rotterdam has announced that it will close nearly half of the coffeeshops that currently operate within its municipality.

We recently reported about the possible closure of most coffeeshops in Amsterdam. Rotterdam’s move could signal what might be ahead for coffeeshops in Amsterdam and elsewhere in the Netherlands.

The closures are due to the fact that Holland’s new, conservative government has determined in its coalition agreement, which has not yet been presented, that coffeeshops may not be located near schools. At present it is unclear whether ’schools’ include only primary schools, or also secondary and extended educational institutions.

Municipalities in the Netherlands have some leeway in interpreting and applying federal laws and regulations. Dutch broadcaster RTL Nieuws quotes an unnamed sources stating that municipalities will be free to determine the minimum distance between coffeeshops and schools. It also states that this determination must have been made (and presumably applied) by 2011.

Rotterdam Closes 27 Coffeeshops

The city of Rotterdam did not wait that long. It has declared that 27 of its 62 coffeeshops must close as of January 1, 2009, because these shops are located to close to secondary and vocational schools.

Rotterdam’s mayor states these reasons for the city’s new policy:

• the increase in the use of soft drugs by ‘vulnerable’ youth. 13 percent of youth in Rotterdam’s secondary schools smokes marijuana
• nuisance created by the trade and use of soft drugs
• negative influence on public space
• stricter application of regulations governing coffeeshops and their suppliers.

The distance criteria used by the municipality of Rotterdam is that a coffeeshop may not be located within

• 200 meters as the crow flies, and
• 250 meters walking distance

of so-called middle-level vocational schools. Coffeeshops may also not be located close to primary schools that offer special-needs education.

The distances will be checked — by officials and representatives of the coffeeshops — by September 1, 2007.

Coffeeshops that are forced to close will not receive financial consideration.

Additional Measures in Rotterdam

The city of Rotterdam has announced that apart from the closures, the remaining coffeeshops will be subject to stricter application of excisting policies.

An educational campaign for schools on the dangers of drugs, titled, “Blowing Is Not Normal,” is being planned, and it will become much more difficult to obtain a permit for a new coffeeshop.

The Organization of RotterdamCoffeeshop Owners says it is disappointed. Its spokeswoman says that it is all for drugs- and alcohol free schools. But she points out that there is no published research demonstrating that the use of cannabis at schools has a direct relation to the distance to the nearest coffeeshop.

Political Reaction

Rotterdam mayor Ivo Opstelten says that while he feels supported by the coalition government agreement, he is handling on his own initiative. “The mayor is the only one authorized to close coffeeshops.”

The city’s new policy does not apply to primary schools, since hardly any primary students use soft drugs. Too, if the distance policy would also apply to primary schools, all coffeeshops in Rotterdam would have to close — something the mayor opposes, since doing so would encourage the illegal sale of drugs.

Many members of the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, have responded with enthusiasm and support for Rotterdam’s stricter policies.

Local members of the PVDA, the Dutch Labourparty, are divided over the measures. Council member Ronald Motta expressed shock over the number of coffeeshops that will have to close down for business.

“I want to see research that demonstrates the relationship between blowing [blowen = Dutch slang for smoking a joint] amongst underaged students and nearby coffeeshops,” he says.

In addition, Motta states that cafés and liquorstores near schools would have to close as well.

“Wiet [Cannabis] is a soft drug, while alcohol is a hard drug,” he says.

However, fraction leader Peter van Heemst says that coffeeshops near schools set a bad example. But he, too, is concerned about the number of shops that have to close. Van Heemst also wonders whether the closings will lead to legal ramifications.

Victor Reijkersz, of Leefbaar Rotterdam (Livable Rotterdam), says what irritates him most about the new policy is the “CDA finger” — a reference to a Dutch term for the raised index finger, which is seen as pedantic.

The Christian Democrats (CDA) is the most powerful party in the current Dutch coalition government. Headed by Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, the party constantly pushes toward more stringent control of coffeeshops. Under the current Balkenende cabinet, it does so in tandem with the Christian Union (in Dutch: ChristenUnie, CU), a relatively young Dutch orthodox Protestant political party.

Like Ronald Motta, Reijkersz also points out that soft drugs are no worse than alcohol.

CDA fraction leader Karen Duys is pleased with the stricter policies, but would like to see coffeeshops near primary schools closed down as well.

Doing so would leave only 2 coffeeshops open for business, which would cause other problems.

Peter van Heemst already worries about the impact of the currently planned closures on the remaining coffeeshops.

“They will have to obtain an increased supply of soft drugs via the back door,” he says.

Technically it is illegal for a coffeeshop to buy soft drugs. As the saying goes, “the front door is legal, but the back door is illegal.” Likewise, it is illegal to grow or import cannabis in order to supply coffeeshops. That it happens anyway is one of those peculiar contradictions that make ‘gedogen’ necessary.

Researchers Skeptical

Researchers and experts at the Jellinek clinic (addiction counseling) and at the University of Amsterdam doubt the effectiveness of the new policies. While they acknowledge the policies raise the treshold, they point out that school children under the age of 18 are not allowed to enter coffeeshops under existing regulations. They obtain their soft drugs from friends and acquaintances, something the new rules can not prevent.

Original content © Copyright 2009 DutchAmsterdam.nl [Read what that actually means]

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