The smoking of marijuana cigarettes will no longer be allowed in public places in the historic districts of the city of Amsterdam from mid-May 2023 in the context of new rules adopted by Dutch officials to counter the negative effects of mass tourism, DPA reports. .

Under other measures that will take effect later, restaurants must close earlier and sex workers in the Red Light District must finish their work earlier, according to a statement from the local municipality.

The purpose of the measures is to increase the safety and comfort of the residents of this micro-district, it is also stated in the message, which notes that at night the atmosphere can sometimes be “very gloomy”.

Over the years, residents have complained about excessive drinking, noise and marijuana-laced cigarettes. Tourists also attract drug dealers who increase crime and danger on the streets, a Dutch municipality said.

One of the main tourist attractions in Amsterdam is a cafe where tourists can buy a small amount of hashish and marijuana. Municipalities are analyzing the possibility of limiting sales in cafes to the time interval of 16:00-01:00.

The new rules are part of a wider set of measures aimed at protecting local residents, with other follow-up rules banning establishments from taking in customers after 01:00.

Sex workers must finish work by 03:00, not 06:00 as before.

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