Amsterdam to outlaw cannabis-smoking in red-light district streets

Historic' clampdown on tourist excesses aims to make life more bearable for local residents

Smoking cannabis on the street in Amsterdam's red light district will soon be illegal, the city council has announced, as part of a range of bylaws designed to deter tourist excesses and make life more bearable for despairing locals.

With more than 18 million visitors thronging its narrow 17th-century streets last year, Amsterdam's residents have long complained that the busiest parts of the city centre, including De Wallen - the red light district - were becoming unliveable.