Amsterdam bans cannabis in its red light district

It will soon be illegal to smoke cannabis on the street in Amsterdam's red light district under new regulations unveiled by the city.

The laws will come into effect from mid-May and aim to improve liveability for residents who have long complained of disruption caused by tourists.

Sex workers will also have to close their venues at 3am.

Local media reported that almost all councillors supported taking action to reduce nuisance to residents.

The city council also announced on Thursday that restaurants and bars would have to close by 2am on Fridays and Saturdays and no new visitors would be allowed into the old city district after 1am.

Currently, the sale of alcohol from shops, liquor stores and cafes in the red light district is illegal from Thursday to Sunday after 4pm. Now, the council will ask vendors to completely remove alcohol from their shopfronts during that time, or hide them from view.

It is illegal to consume alcohol in most public spaces in Amsterdam.

The Dutch capital is well known for its cannabis cafes and attracts millions of tourists a year. But locals have complained they attract street dealers and that drug and alcohol abuse is driving up crime rates.

Under current laws in the Netherlands it is a criminal offence to possess, produce or deal drugs. However, the use of drugs by a person over the age of 18 is not a criminal offence.

While it is illegal to sell or possess drugs, the Netherlands has a "toleration policy" that allows coffee shops to sell cannabis under strict conditions. One of those conditions includes that the shops must not cause any nuisance.

In addition to the new laws, the Amsterdam council will launch a "stay away" campaign in the spring to target tourists travelling to the capital for drugs, alcohol and sex purposes.