cannabisnews.com: Dutch Cities Mull Drug, Alcohol Ban Dutch Cities Mull Drug, Alcohol Ban Posted by FoM on December 20, 1999 at 11:41:46 PT By Jerome Socolovsky Source: NJO: NewsFlash Mayors of Dutch cities staging games during next summer's European Championship are considering a drug and alcohol ban during the games. The Netherlands' chief public prosecutor, Joan de Wijkerslooth, warned over the weekend that without a total ban on the sale and consumption of drugs and alcohol, next summer's tournament threatened to descend into "uncontrollable violence." About 1.2 million fans from around Europe are expected at the quadrennial soccer tournament, held June 10-July 2 at eight cities in Belgium and the Netherlands. The qualifying teams include several with notoriously violent fans, including England, Germany, and the Netherlands. Wijkerslooth, whose department is responsible for maintaining law and order in the Netherlands, noted the relatively easy availability of illicit drugs in the country and the drinking and drug-taking habits of many European soccer fans. "We know now that the combination of alcohol, high-quality Dutch (marijuana) joints and Ecstasy pills will make for an absolute fiasco," Wijkerslooth told Rotterdam's NRC Handelsblad newspaper. Although marijuana and methamphetamines such as Ecstasy are technically illegal in the Netherlands, law enforcement authorities generally tolerate their sale at so-called "coffee shop" dance clubs. By Jerome SocolovskyThe Associated Press12/20/99 12:13 PM EasternPlease send any questions or:comments to newsflash nj.com. Copyright 1999 Associated Press. Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by kaptinemo on December 20, 1999 at 15:56:37 PT I'm surprised I've spent some time over there, and to some extant, there is a problem. The Dutch, usually a wonderfully laid back people, are quite passionate about their 'voetball'. If you go to a bar where "Ajax" is the team favorite, and a game is on the tube, you better say something nice about them if you don't want to get roughed up. But the Dutch are not being blind and stupid, as our own politicians demonstrably are; they are simply more worried about *foreign* visitors making a mess.Unfortunately, the not-so-politic comment about MJ will be the only thing picked up by our news media and blathered about by McCaffrey and Company as vindicating his earlier lies about Holland. They should have learned from his earlier visit that you never hand ammunition to an idiot with an empty gun. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Doc-Hawk on December 20, 1999 at 15:34:44 PT: There they go again - Lumping all drugs together Yeah! Netherlands' chief public prosecutor, Joan de Wijkerslooth almost got it right.If he had only recommended banning alcohol, everything would go smoothly };-) Alcohol It Hurts Us All [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by military officer guy on December 20, 1999 at 14:45:56 PT yeah, right... yeah, this is going to work...can anyone say,"Black market"...this is plain stupid...it's a good idea, but it ain't going to work... [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: