Europe travel guide

Amsterdam police against off duty drug ban

Tourists aren’t the only ones enjoying the delights of Amsterdam coffeeshops. Police officers are now complaining about new rules which ban them from smoking cannabis when off duty.

Amsterdam is world famous for its relaxed attitude to soft drugs even though they are still technically illegal. Officers in the Dutch capital have now been told they must set a good moral example by not smoking cannabis even in their spare time.

The Dutch police union has protested that many officers re opposed to this clampdown. They say what officers do in their spare time is up to them. They claim that smoking cannabis has no effect on their performance while on duty and that off duty officers have no more reason to provide moral leadership than anyone else.

Some say the officers have a case. Doctors say the effects of marijuana only last for a short period of time. Union leaders say police are not paid 24hours and should be free to follow their own leisure pursuits in their own time. They see no reason why police shouldn’t be allowed to enjoy marijuana off-duty.

This article was written for TravelSavvy Europe by Andy Cornish. If you know of an interesting European travel related news story, please get in contact.