Wednesday, March 26 2008
NIS News Bulletin (Netherlands)
THE HAGUE, 27/03/08 - The upcoming smoking ban in Dutch bars and restaurants does not apply to joints made solely of cannabis. Health Minister Ab Klink wrote this in a letter to the Lower House.
From 1 July 2008, smoking in restaurants, hotels and bars will only be allowed in closed-off areas where no service will be provided. Coffee shops - the tolerated Dutch cannabis bars - are also included in the ban.
However, the Tobacco Act only applies to the smoking of products consisting wholly or partially of tobacco. Cannabis users who smoke their joints without adding tobacco will therefore not be affected by the ban that comes into force on 1 July.
Klink does not expect that cannabis users will switch en masse to 'pure' joints. He will arrange a study, though, of whether the smoking habits of coffee shop visitors change after the ban.
