As neither a smoker nor a heavy drinker, and as someone who was never fascinated by illicit activities (no, I have never watched an episode of the Sopranos), I am unexpectedly attracted to the aura of liberalism and tolerance shining through the Netherlands. Attribute it to my father being a hippy in the 70s or my excessive desire to play the devil’s advocate, this country is just the summa of everything I aspire to, despite being totally uninterested in their most famous businesses.

Just this summer I had the chance to walk up and down Amsterdam’s canals gain, trying to survive those demonic bicycles (the true Dutch rulers) and making my way through smelly alleys (we all know “Maria”) and questionable shops. While most of the time my curiosity is drawn to local art, museums and visual culture, this time I wanted to immerse in the truest Dutch material culture. Despite the fact that the smell of marijuana makes me sick, this time I found it really added that little extra to make the whole environment cosy and captivating. Visiting a coffee shop, cheering at a semi-naked lady in a window and seeing mushrooms you would not use for a risotto popping up everywhere, felt just NORMAL. The coffee shop owner greets gently and welcomes with a big smile; unavoidably sat in the corner table by the window nobody is surprised I only order a coffee and a slice of Dutch apple pie. Smoking or not, the coffee shops are there to serve their clients. This is really nothing but straight, comforting and welcoming daily life.

Most conservatives could call this depravation, while progressives might already shout hurrah to their flower power gurus. Well, this is not the case. Sorry for those who have already started complaining the end of human morality or those excited to see their promiscuous dreams come true, but in the Netherlands everything is about thrifty and practical decisions, mainly independent from political, religious or moral orientation. The Dutch were merchants and, unlike their British neighbours, were never afraid of using their “common sense” against etiquette, never letting good manners impede a chance for profit. Given these premises, let me guide you through a brief tour of Dutch history and recent benefits of tolerating prostitution and soft drugs consumption. Just a warning, the content is highly unbiased and written according to objective statistics and data, nonetheless my enthusiasm as self-proclaimed leftist liberal and advocate for women’s rights will arise.

Despite being a monarchy, the Netherlands have always been characterised by its commercial power more than military apparel. Prostitution and opium are the pillars of a well-fuelled mercantile society. If you have been living on a ship for 6 months with rationed food and no sight of people other than your dirty crew companions, clearly the priority when back in the motherland is a shag and maybe some good, finely chopped “grass” to make you experience the real “travel”. Indeed, quoting a law-decree observed in the City of Amsterdam since 1413 “it is far better to have these women than not to have them,” holy words which allowed the first licensed brothels. “Licensed,” I would ask you to pay attention to this word, this implies that the state has been controlling the “oldest job in the world” for almost 600 years. And actually everything comes down to control, as Dutch authorities smartly prefer to be aware of such traffics, rather than deploying police forces to forbid the inevitable. The same happens with cannabis consumption, due to the 1976 Opium Act, allowing for cannabis and its by-products to be classified in Section II as soft drugs, whose consumption would not cause irreversible side-effects.

Now, everybody could think everything is legal in the Netherlands, however, in reality, prostitution in the streets and the retail of drugs is considered legally prosecutable. Then, why does almost nobody face fines or jail? Here comes the so called gedogen or principle of “pragmatic tolerance,” diverting crimes from the criminal justice system and instead favouring an idea of social intervention and welfare. Social control is more effective than deterrence, indeed we can talk about a de facto legalisation of prostitution, cannabis retail and even euthanasia, where individual prosecutors decide to not follow up the case. This is believed to favour trust in governmental authorities and especially allows a differentiation between “libertine” citizens and criminals. Class A drugs sale and coercion in prostitution (considered human trafficking) are punisheable crimes with sanctions even stricter than in other European countries. For instance, the Dutch approach to these issues is opposite to laissez-faire, rather they apply a clear and distinct analysis of each case believing social support benefits their community much more than overcrowding jails.

But what are the tangible benefits of Dutch tolerant views? First of all, everybody found in possession of heavy drugs is considered a public health responsibility, with the government taking care of their recovery and re-education. Moreover, even though the use of cocaine is still common, the consumption of other brain-melting drugs like heroin and opioid represents a much smaller percentage than in other European countries: the Netherlands registered 14.400 consumers between the age of 15 and 64, against Germany ca. 10 millions (European Drug Reports 2019). And if a lower consumption of heavy drugs is not enough, crimes and a “thug” lifestyle are rare and especially unrelated to substance consumption. In fact, more than 90% of sex workers (yes, the word “prostitute” is derogatory and unrepresentative of this sector of the job market!) do not have a history of drug consumption nor any ties with convicted procurers or criminal organizations: they are REGULAR and registered self-employed workers, as any dentist could be! Talking about sex work, there are ample safety measures adopted by the government: first of all, free STD testing is guaranteed, and even though street-working is illegal, there are many safe areas and parking lots where sex workers can interact with their clients. Security cameras and close-by police stations ensure workers’ safety, indeed the risks of rape and other kind of violence are significantly low. However, feeling safe is not only about physical harm, as the psychological component plays a crucial role: verbal abuse is obviously severely forbidden, but so is treating sex workers as a “tourist attraction”. Back in February, the Amsterdam city government put a ban on Red Light District windows tour, since many tourists would take inappropriate photo of the women “displaying” in the windows without their consent. Sex workers are valued as part of the job market and for this they are granted social security.

It is unarguable that sex work and soft drugs consumption and retail are safe businesses, but logically not all of the population is involved, with just a mere 17.5% of people (15-64 y. o.) who smoke cannabis. Therefore, most citizens are exempt from such vices, but how do normal people perceive such “depravation”? Well, they are actually among the most satisfied European Union citizens, as it emerges from various surveys and it is not rare to find Amsterdam in the list of “most liveable cities” due to its stable economy and low crime rate. In the last European Quality of Life Survey (2016), the Dutch resulted among the most satisfied Europeans, with 90% of the sample analysed declaring they “feel what they do in life is worthwhile” and 85% stating they are “free to decide how they live their lives.” This is not anarchy, but rather a well-organised society, where emphasis is placed on its citizens welfare; indeed, 87% says they know how to get back to normality when things go wrong and many share that they are able to reconcile working life with self-realising activities.

The Netherlands is not an adult-only amusement park, nor it is the Devil’s own terrestrial paradise, it is country which weighted up various options and realised citizens’ safety and happiness is also dependent on compromising with real-life issues. When I walked down those crowded alleys of De Wallen in Amsterdam, I felt SAFE, no catcalling, nor inappropriate looks; wearing my short bodycon dress I went sightseeing comfortably and even challenged my fear of riding a bike. This country does not encourage you to smoke weed, nor to become a sex worker, but those who engage are able to make safe and informed choices. So, if you want to get in the business go freely and always pay your taxes (there is no escape!); if you want to have a good time, go and visit a coffee shop. And if you enjoy masterful art (we are talking Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Gogh) or you love living your cottage-core aesthetic dream in a tulip field under a windmill, the Netherlands is there! This country is label-free, welcoming and exciting, where Sex, Drug and Rock’n’Roll acquires a brand-new meaning and is accompanied by picturesque views, delicious cheese and overly uncomfortable wooden shoes (they are a lovely souvenir though!).

Sources

Brants, Chrisje, “The Fine Art of Regulated Tolerance: Prostitution in Amsterdam,” Journal of Law and Society 25(4): 621-635

https://www.jstor.org/stable/1410642?seq=6#metadata_info_tab_contents

European Drug Report 2019 https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/edr2019_en

European Quality of Life Survey 2016 https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/surveys/european-quality-of-life-surveys/european-quality-of-life-survey-2016

Jackson, Patrick, “How the Dutch Protect their Prostitutes,” BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6178793.stm

Santelli, Filippo, “Marijuana e Prostituzione legali, ecco quanto guadagnerebbe il
Paese,” R Economia & Finanza (la Repubblica) https://www.repubblica.it/economia/2015/07/18/news/marijuana_prostituzione-119292858/?fbclid=IwAR1ZWiDLJG0jSvCD41Pi5U_3iC3wFx0PNkIDR_gGtw6mgGkrCTcDRep9JYc&refresh_ce

The Associated Press, “Amsterdam bans tour groups from sex workers’ windows,”  ABC News https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/amsterdam-bans-tour-groups-sex-workers-windows-68964873

van der Winjgaart, Govert F. “The Dutch Approach: Normalization of Drug Problems,” Journal of Drug Issues 20(4): 667-678 https://doi.org/10.1177%2F002204269002000416