Smart To Close 'Coffee Shops" To Foreign Visitors?

[omegaet]

Opinions regarding this decision by the Netherlands?


Netherlands: Pot shops to be off limits to foreign tourists - latimes.com

[Mountie]

Opinions regarding this decision by the Netherlands?


Netherlands: Pot shops to be off limits to foreign tourists - latimes.com

Not that I smoke the stuff, but I could care less if people want to smoke it. So the Dutch government is not concerned about their own citizens using pot, they just don't want tourists getting high. Sounds like a bad business decision to me. I'm sure this will cut down on the weekend visitors from nearby countries for certain. Also how about eager eaters looking for that late night snack after cranking on a water pipe for an hour or two - not good for restaurants as well!

I'm in favor of outlawing tobacco in the US and legalizing pot.

Hey wooden shoes, be sure to turn your back on the red light district!

Government gone wild for sure.

[[email protected]]

I don't think the government here or abroad should outlaw tobacco or pot - individual choices should be left up to the individuals - OK to have an age limit but not make them illegal

[Mountie]

I don't think the government here or abroad should outlaw tobacco or pot - individual choices should be left up to the individuals - OK to have an age limit but not make them illegal

Denise:

I agree with you 100% regarding the freedom of choice. I am interested in the ways to lower health costs.

I guess I should have said insurance companies should not be allowed to offer health or life insurance to tobacco users.*

Tobacco is the single greatest cause of preventable death in the United States*

*Mokdad, A. H.; Marks, JS; Stroup, DF; Gerberding, JL (2004). "Actual Causes of Death in the United States, 2000". JAMA 291

[thepiranha]

The Dutch government is going to lose some tourism if this happens. I agree that cigarette smoking is far worse for one's health than pot smoking and creates a lot less litter. How often do you find roaches on the street as opposed to cigarette butts?

[kapper]

Opinions regarding this decision by the Netherlands?


Netherlands: Pot shops to be off limits to foreign tourists - latimes.com

In several ways, I just don't connect with the logic of this selective government intrusion. Over the years, our family has spend a great deal of time in the Netherlands and we have spent a number of nights in Amsterdam. We have stopped by a number of "coffee", for photo ops, without entering for participation. Can't recall seeing visitors to these shops involved in nearly as much disturbances as those outside of local bars.

Maybe drunks like to fight and pot heads want to enjoy munchies and relax.

Just a very strange approach on the part of the government.

[[email protected]]

Mountie - Obesity is fast becoming the leading cause of death - especially in the USA and will soon overtake tobacco and other things as a cause of death.
I happen to be a smoker and have been for over 20 years - no health problems on my end and I would really be upset if I was denied health or life insurance just because I smoke!
I agree that some folks do get ill due to smoking but some folks get ill due to drinking and many other life style choices. In Philadelphia, where I live, the big debate right now is whether or not to have a tax on sugary sodas and other sugary drinks - I do not drink soda so it does not faze me if there is a tax - but the bottlers here in Philly and the grocery store owners are raising a big fuss - my personal opinion is that the government should not be getting involved in any of this stuff.
If I get sick, the taxpayers are not paying for my health insurance - I get insurance from my employer and I have to pay a decent amount each month for it along with co-pays.
There are lots of things the government should have some oversight on but they do not (the housing crisis - anyone - the bank mess,pollution from cars, trucks, buses, coal plants, etc.)
Instead these politicians are too busy babbling on about abortion, smoking, who is playing around on their spouse, etc.

sorry about the rant ;-)

[kyshel]

Dh--this is forum and the perfect place for a rant.
But I don't see anything that backs up your statement:
"Obesity is fast becoming the leading cause of death - especially in the USA and will soon overtake tobacco and other things as a cause of death."
I believe you're mistaken. it's alot different to break poor eating habits than breaking a drug addiction to cigarettes. (I have been a non-smoker for 8 years)

[[email protected]]

I always see and reada many news stories regarding obesity in the United States and they all pretty much state that it will soon overtake smoking as the leading cause of death - now this could be due to the fact that many smokers have quit so the rate of smoking related illnesses is dropping, however, I personally feel and not just because I am a smoker, that there are many things that people do that makes them ill and if the government feels they have to control people's lives and what they eat, drink or smoke - then they need to control it all and not just pick out tobacco as the "greatest evil" and if insurance companies are going to penalize folks for smoking and charge higher rates (although this has not happened to me), then maybe they should charge higher rates for all the overweight folks - when I see someone who is very overweight drinking soda after soda and eating McDonalds french fries on the bus at 6:30am in the morning, it creeps me out alot more then seeing someone smoking a cigarette at the bus stop. In Philly, the city council just voted against a soda tax (which would have been just a few pennies per ounce) to help fund the school district shortage and instead raised the property taxes again after they just raised them 10% last year and the Philly newspaper just had an article talking about how children between 2- 18 years old drink much more soda than milk and in fact some don't drink anything other than soda - I think they are doing more damage to their health than 2nd hand smoke can ever do - but this is just my opinion ;-)

[kyshel]

The blood pressure issues and heart related illnesses overlap in both cases of obesity and smoking. Aside from the lung cancer numbers, obesity doesn't necessarily cause cancers (foods consumed can do that) and the incidence of diabetes is high in obese people but also an inherited trait whcih has nothing to do with weight. I do believe there is a huge difference between bad eating habits/overeating and cigarette addiction.
I abhor the excessive use of soda and non-nutritional foods kids eat these days and now the caffeine boosters. It's part of the ME--gimme gimme, instant gratification generation. Then I just look at Walmart store on any given day and shake my head. I see who the parents are...