Zero fines in two months since Amsterdam banned smoking weed on Red Light District streets

Two months after the implementation of the cannabis smoking ban on Amsterdam's Red Light District streets, no fines have been issued, a spokesperson for Mayor Femke Halsema declared on Tuesday. The ban, which prohibits smoking cannabis on the streets of the old city center, came into effect on May 25 this year.

People lighting up a joint on the streets are subject to a fine of 100 euros. This can be issued by both police officers and enforcers. However, the fine is only imposed if a first warning is not adhered to, and it appears these initial warnings are being observed. 'People are first warned and then simply put out their joint,” the spokesperson explained.

The ban applies throughout the Red Light District and on Dam Square, Damrak, and Nieuwmarkt and also applies to residents of the area.

The plan to forbid people from smoking cannabis in the old city center of the capital was announced by the municipality in February. The ban is a development from a larger package of measures adopted by the full city council last December to combat the crowds, noise complaints, and general nuisance in the Red Light District. This includes the earlier closing times for windows used by sex workers and broader limits on alcohol sales.