End of an Era

Monday, 1st December, will see a complete ban on the sale of "magic mushrooms" in Amsterdam.

Sold from traditional "smart shops" (180 establishments in total), there are 189 varieties to sample, but following the death of a 17 year old French girl, who fatally jumped from a window last year while suffering hallucinations*, they will no longer be openly available to tourists.

Amsterdam is also to close 40 cannabis cafés, known as "coffee shops", because they are too close to schools and to shut scores of prostitute shop windows.

Seems like the idea of the Nanny State is spreading. :-(



*Her parents blamed magic mushrooms, although she was also known to have had psychiatric problems.