Monday, August 25, 2008
... with supreme visions of lonely tunes
Since July, 1st also here in The Netherlands smoking is banned in public places such as restaurants, cafés, bars, &c.
This is done in order to prevent employees to work "in an environment were they are constantly exposed to the harmful effects of smoking", as prime minister Balkenende said.
The obvious question that come to mind is: "Holland? Smoking ban??? And what about Coffee shops???"
Exactly.
This ban works far all places, included coffee shops. "Coffee shops will be treated in the same manner as other catering businesses. They will be smoke-free".
But... of course there is a but because we're in Holland.
But coffee shop owners argued that the ban only applies to tobacco, and just for it!
This means that you're still not allowed to smoke tobacco, not even in coffee shops, but you can still smoke cigarettes containing only cannabis!
"The Dutch ban, which prohibits tobacco smoking in all public places of employment to protect workers’ health, is only for tobacco and makes no change to marijuana policy" said Saskia Hommes, a spokeswoman for Dutch Health Minister. "The government will have to see if the law is enforceable" she said.
To me this does not make so much sense.
I mean: coffee shops are places built for let people smoke inside freely. And the owners or the employees know that if they go to work for a coffee shop they're going to sniff all others' smoke.
If you decide that smoking and to sell marijuana is legal, than you should also allow places where people can smoke freely, no?
But anyway selling marijuana is not legal in The Netherlands, it's just not punishable. Really.
Is this hypocrisy or just a pragmatical way of trying to solve an unsolvable problem?
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