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11/1 Jurists want to stay in Oudemanhuispoort

8/2 Mayor’s portrait

8/2 Websites for social cohesion

7/2 Spreading tourism proceeds with difficulty

7/2 GroenLinks on districts: Be a man

6/2 Zuideramstel opens new office on Sabbath

5/2 The truth about integration

4/2 Wilders has little support on Amsterdam

3/2 Elite involved in neighbourhood

2/2 Johnnie Walker avoids taxes in Amsterdam

1/2 Rotterdam to tinker with district councils as well

31/1 Wooden rowing boats to disappear from Amstel

31/1 ZeeburgTV launched

27/1 Privacy activists to mess up loyalty card system

27/1 A few were still coughing, but that was an act

27/1 Chrisis in de Baarsjes

26/1 Youth have positive view of districts

24/1 Action groups call for Carmel and Jaffa boycott

24/1 PvdA members dismiss plan for districts

23/1 KLM takes on crisis with new uniform

23/1 District office not squatted

21/1 Merge districts

20/1 Closing squat bar Vrankrijk not necessary

20/1 Cleaners welcome new Schiphol director

18/1 Palestine at the Jewish Historical Museum

18/1 What is the right size for a district?

17/1 PvdA Oost against fewer districts

16/1 Committee: 7 districts by 2010

15/1 Soldiers may attend Afghanistan debate after all

15/1 Bait bike leads to arrest

14/1 Youth for Christ to republish vacancies

13/1 Paintings of the Zuidas

13/1 New Youth for Christ contoversy

11/1 Social cohesion initiative raises eyebrows

10/1 Fewer districts in 2010

10/1 Zuidas: People feel that we are losers

9/1 Fun on the ice - but not for all

9/1 Supermarket coupon fraud thwarted

9/1 I Amsterdam must remain exclusive

8/1 Use term Apartheid in every discussion

8/1 No city kiosk in Amsterdam yet

7/1 Snow

7/1 Fatima Elatik to run Zeeburg

7/1 Municipal managers to return to shop floor

4/1 Police: take photo of strange people

3/1 Gaza protest criticises politicians

1/1 Thousands to protest against attacks on Gaza

1/1 Mustapha Laboui leaves district council

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Ban on smoking hash in public

24 December 2005 – The De Baarsjes district is to ban smoking hash in public as of 1 February. The measure is intended to be used against young people who cause trouble while hanging around coffeeshops.

The ban will apply to the area surrounding the Mercatorplein. Offenders will be fined 45 euro, or half that amount if they are minors. The district council will be consulted before the ban will be introduced.

The district administration says that minors hang around coffeeshops, waiting for older boys who can buy them hash. Local residents complained about hash-smoking youths who urinate in doorways, plaster doors and pick fights. Seventy percent are from neighbouring districts with few coffeeshops, the district says.

The district claims that a previous ban on drinking alcohol in public has proven very effective. Critics say that the ban on smoking hash is difficult to enforce and that it will distract from more effective ways to deal with youths who cause trouble. Green party AA/DG said that it would make as much sense to ban wearing caps or using mobile phones.

Last Wednesday, the city council approved a measure that authorises Districts to ban smoking hash in public. The measure is an experiment for the duration of one year. Besides De Baarsjes, Zeeburg is considering a ban.

Source: Het Parool, De Baarsjes