Civilization under attack: Dutch coffee shops and the new smoking ban.

Perhaps instead of banning tobacco ... aw, never mind.

Amsterdam coffee shops say tobacco ban is blow to business

As in the rest of Europe the purpose of the ban is to protect the health of staff, who at present are obliged to inhale passively other people's smoke. But Sandy Lambrecht, the manager of the Bulldog coffee shop on the Leidseplein in the heart of Amsterdam, said: "The new rules are absurd. You come to a coffee shop to smoke, after all – it's ridiculous that we have to comply. The new rules are meant to protect employees like me, but the point is that we chose to work here."

It's just that I support niche markets.