Smoking ban
We all know that smoking is bad for our health but actually giving up this bad habit is as difficult as it’s always been. And people sitting near smokers are forced to inhale the smoke, whether they want to or not. That is one of the reasons why smoking is now banned in public areas in the Netherlands (and indeed in many other parts of the world as well). From July 2008, a smoking ban came into effect in all hospitality venues in the Netherlands. The ban also includes discotheques and concert halls.
Total ban on smoking?
Will this mean that any visitor to the Netherlands, so also Amsterdam, will not be allowed to light up a cigarette or a cigar in a hotel, restaurant, café, snack bar or any other establishment covered by the new law, including discotheques? The answer is both yes and no – inveterate smokers needn’t despair, as there is actually a solution for them.
Designated areas
Say you’re enjoying a cup of coffee after a delicious meal in one of Amsterdam’s many restaurants and you would like a cigarette or cigar. Will you have to go stand outside? Not if your restaurant has a designated smoking area, closed off from the rest of the public area. In such designated areas, smoking is allowed. To protect hospitality staff against second-hand smoke, service is not provided in these areas. So if you fancy a second cup of coffee, you will have to return to the ‘regular’ section of the restaurant.
Regulation
The regulation allowing smoking in designated areas is, of course, not restricted to restaurants, but is applicable for all establishments covered by the new law. Therefore venues like discotheques are also permitted to create such ‘sanctuaries’.
Coffee shops
In the Netherlands, a ‘Coffee Shop’ is where you go not to drink coffee, but to smoke cannabis. The same regulations apply to coffee shops as to all other hospitality venues: no service is allowed in designated smoking areas. As it would be somewhat absurd to create a designated smoking area in a coffee shop, the roles will be reversed here. You may smoke cannabis in a coffee shop, but no service will be provided. So if you would like something to drink while you smoke, you will have to go to the designated non-smoking area. There the staff are allowed to serve you.
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Read more information on coffeeshops.
Hotels
In hotels, the rules state that you must not smoke in rooms where staff are not protected. This is especially true for hotel lobbies and breakfast/dining rooms. Individual hoteliers can dictate whether smoking is allowed in other hotel rooms. To be sure, request a copy of the establishment’s house rules.
- Tell a friend
