Amsterdam Is Telling 'Wild' Young British Tourists to 'Stay Away'
The new campaign is an effort to reduce public nuisance caused by drinking and drug use.
If you're a young British traveler looking to party hard in Amsterdam, you'll probably have the Netherlands city's gates slammed in your face.
The iconic city known for its arts and culture scene and, most importantly, for its lax rules revolving around recreational drugs and alcohol just launched an online campaign targeting young British travelers between the ages of 18 and 35 looking to get rowdy. Aptly named 'Stay Away,' the initiative, which was announced by Amsterdam's local authorities, aims to address nuisance caused by misbehaving tourists.
If you're from Britain and decide to look up terms such as "pub crawl Amsterdam" or "stag party Amsterdam," you'll be greeted by a video advertisement filled with warnings and advisories about what your reckless drinking and drug abuse could get you into, legally speaking.
"Coming to Amsterdam for a messy night + getting trashed = €140 fine + criminal record = fewer prospects," reads the text in one video. "So coming to Amsterdam for a messy night? Stay away."A similar video makes it more personal, and hits close to home. "Coming to Amsterdam to take drugs + lose control = hospital trip + permanent health damage = worried family," it reads. The tag line is always the same. "So coming for drugs to Amsterdam? Stay away."
While British travelers are the first ones to be targeted, it is likely that no Europeans will be safe forever. According to local authorities, the "Stay Away" campaign might expand to tourists from other countries in Europe.
This is not the first step Amsterdam took to reduce public nuisance. Earlier this year, the Netherlands capital announced that it is banning smoking weed in its most iconic district, the famous Red Light District, in an effort to make the neighborhood safer.
"Residents of the old city center experience a lot of nuisance from mass tourism and alcohol and drug abuse on the street," the Municipality of Amsterdam said in a statement, as Thrillist previously reported. "Tourists also attract street dealers, who in turn promote criminality and insecurity. Especially at night, the atmosphere can become grim. People who are under the influence also stick around longer... Residents cannot sleep well and the neighborhood is becoming unsafe and unlivable."