Word: amsterdams
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...Thijn considers himself a tolerant man, but he readily admits that he is no longer as broad-minded as he was when he became mayor of Amsterdam in 1983. At that time the Dutch city of 700,000 was notorious as the drug capital of Europe, a place where hashish was smoked openly in cafes and dealers peddled their wares with impunity. In the past few years, however, Amsterdam -- and indeed all of Holland -- has begun to question the freewheeling ways that have long characterized Dutch society. From sex to drugs to welfare, the Dutch are increasingly wondering if they...
Mayor Van Thijn reflects the country's new mood. He has turned tough, albeit reluctantly, cracking down on Amsterdam's drug dealers, rioting squatters and other criminals. Van Thijn, who confesses that, like most of his countrymen, he took a lenient attitude toward drug abuse in the 1970s, now looks back in anger. "In the past 15 years," he says, "tolerance became synonymous with permissiveness, weakheartedness and softness on law-and-order. Today backlash and debate about where Dutch society is going...
...jails has reinforced the trend toward leniency. A convict who escaped from prison last year and was subsequently recaptured was pleased to discover that his cell had been assigned to a newcomer. The former inmate was released in his own custody to await a jail vacancy. Each Friday in Amsterdam, a district attorney tours detention cells to determine who can be released to make room for more serious offenders...
...such as marijuana and hashish are readily available at coffee shops. Waiters bring the fixings right to the table. An enterprising service called Home Blow Couriers even offers free delivery of drug orders in excess of $12.50. Small wonder that youthful "hash tourists," especially from West Germany, flock to Amsterdam's Dam Square, or that visitors who do not understand Dutch occasionally experience strange feelings from the marijuana pastries they unknowingly eat in coffee shops...
...actually "tactical," in that it is aimed at isolating and controlling a problem "under supervision of the authorities." The technique has long been used in the Netherlands. As Van Doorn explains, "Allow open prostitution, but limit it to certain neighborhoods, that is, the notorious walletjes ((red- light districts)) in Amsterdam and other cities." Similarly, the sale of soft drugs is condoned at certain youth clubs...