According to a decree by the Dutch government, coffee shops must not be located within 250 meters of schools, and this applies only to secondary schools. It was decided not to apply this criterion to primary schools, because then almost no coffee shops would remain in the city. In addition, a number of outlets in the red-light district will be closed in the Dutch capital. 'There are simply too many of these establishments there,' the authorities explain.
As RIA Novosti notes, the closure of coffee shops and attacks on the red-light district began in Holland some time ago. In 2007, the Amsterdam administration announced the phased closure of most brothels. According to local authorities, the red-light district has always been a center of crime, and the very existence of windows where prostitutes are displayed creates a negative reputation for the city.
However, border Dutch towns are closing their coffee shops to remain attractive to excursion tourists, whose numbers were extremely small compared to residents of neighboring countries who come here for a 'one-day drug tour'.