The Student Room Group

Alcoholics paid with beer to clean Amsterdam's streets

http://rt.com/news/street-cleaning-alcoholics-amsterdam-975/

In order to keep Amsterdam clean, the city now hires chronic alcoholics. For five cans of beer, tobacco and about $13 in cash per day they have to sweep the city’s streets. The new project aims at tackling anti-social behavior by keeping addicts busy.

Alcoholics start their work day at 9 am - not with brooms in hands, but rather with two cans of beer. They end their work 3 pm also with a can of beer. Sometime in the afternoon anti-social workers are offered a hot meal, which is served with two cans of beer.


Interesting concept :holmes:. What are your opinions on this, TSR?
I like it. A lot. Very pragmatic policy.
Original post by James A
http://rt.com/news/street-cleaning-alcoholics-amsterdam-975/



Interesting concept :holmes:. What are your opinions on this, TSR?


An exceptional policy that should perhaps be tried in the UK.
(edited 10 years ago)
Expliotive and immoral in my opinion.
Reply 4
Original post by Panda Bear
Expliotive and immoral in my opinion.


Yes and no. They would probably spend their benefit money on booze anyway, this way at least it also keeps the streets clean.
Dumb. Degrades the alcoholics make them want it even more. This is not the way. Alcoholism is usually something deep rooted and doesn't fit the ideology of capitalism its more about care and empathy. Fair enough its down to them what they do with their lives but this is not how you help.
Anybody can be an alcoholic if you find yourself having an addictive personality or going through a hard time in life. You me or anyone else.
Reply 7
Original post by Bill_Gates
Dumb. Degrades the alcoholics make them want it even more. This is not the way. Alcoholism is usually something deep rooted and doesn't fit the ideology of capitalism its more about care and empathy. Fair enough its down to them what they do with their lives but this is not how you help.


Yea, but this is the Netherlands. They are liberal to everything; druggies, alcoholics, murderers and even pedos (they have a pedo political party there).
Original post by elohssa
Yea, but this is the Netherlands. They are liberal to everything; druggies, alcoholics, murderers and even pedos (they have a pedo political party there).


Wrong

The reason coffeeshops exist is to separate the 'hard' and 'soft' drugs market. Alcoholics and people who take class A drugs are generally stigmatized and seeing alcoholics cleaning the streets emphasizes the message. This is not where you want to end up, kids. THe pot smokers on the other hand are just as adjusted and integrated into society as everyone else, rather than being seen as 'druggies' hanging around on street corners buying from the same guy who sells crack.

As someone who has had to deal with death, illness and extreme violence caused by alcoholism and crack addiction in my family, I'm behind this approach, though perhaps more should be done to help addicts as a healthcare matter rather than a criminal justice matter. Like in Portugal.

I'm going to Amsterdam again on Friday. I have to say the lack of drunken revelry over there (coffeeshops are not allowed to serve alcohol) was a welcome relief.

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