Young people causing more nuisance for hospitality industry since lockdown lifted

Municipalities, entrepreneurs and enforcers are all noticing a trend since bars and clubs have reopened: young people are rowdier than they were before the pandemic. Binge drinking and aggressive behavior are some of the signs that young partygoers are still adjusting to nightlife after coronavirus, according to Nu.nl.

Spokespeople for the municipalities of The Hague, Utrecht and Eindhoven said alcohol consumption has gone up, and in some cases people's behavior has become more violent when they are drunk. Young people seem to be the most frequent offenders, perhaps because they are new to the nightlife scene and don't know their own limits, a spokesperson from the municipality of Eindhoven told Nu.nl.

A spokesperson for the municipality of The Hague echoed this observation. "People are drunk earlier, more violently drunk and more often exhibit behavior that was virtually non-existent before the pandemic."

The trade association for the hospitality industry, Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (KHN), has also noticed the shift. "Catering entrepreneurs are now experiencing more nuisance in regular nightlife," a spokesperson said.

One reason could be that young people are not used to how to control themselves under the influence of alcohol, said Raoul Verwey of the Center for Crime Prevention and Security (CCV). Some bar staff might also have less experience dealing with difficult customers, as many catering facilities had to let their staff go during the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for knowledge institute Trimbos said that people are more likely to become overstimulated in nightlife environments after long periods without stimulation –– such as lockdown.

"Even before the coronavirus crisis, we saw that people were getting a shorter fuse. But that upward trend is now going up more sharply," according to Dutch enforcement officers (BOAs).

The CCV is currently investigating the phenomenon, and expects to have preliminary results by June.