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Fred. Roeskestraat declared no-smoking zone

Thirty blue tiles, spread across the street, make the message clear that Fred. Roeskestraat is a no-smoking zone. The people behind the initiative are Kiek Verburg and Wytske Kelling. Their children go to the Geert Groote College, which is located on this street and where teenagers regularly light up cigarettes. Verburg and Kelling joined forces and drummed up support among local residents. They were also supported by various schools and businesses in Fred. Roeskestraat. They wanted a legal ban, but that has not happened. However, the city was willing to cooperate in the process of declaring the whole street a no-smoking zone.

Geert Groote College

Discouraging

‘Initially, we’re opting to discourage smoking rather than introducing prohibition and enforcement. We’re taking a positive, promotional approach to smoking prevention. There will be no sanctions if someone does smoke’, explains Renate Tempelaars, Area Pool (Gebiedspool) Project Manager. ‘By introducing the tiles, we aim to encourage a change of standards. Besides: seeing people smoking only encourages others.’

The whole street is smoke-free

Smoke-free Amsterdam

This initiative is also nicely in line with the ‘Together towards a Smoke-free Amsterdam’ policy programme agreed by the City Council at the end of 2019. The programme’s aims are: achieving a smoke- and tobacco-free environment, encouraging the people of Amsterdam to stop smoking, and preventing young people from starting to smoke. The schools in Fred. Roeskestraaat will also be introducing other initiatives to teach their students about the dangers of smoking

More no-smoking zones in Zuidas

Fred. Roeskestraat is not the only no-smoking zone in Zuidas. Since 1 October 2019, a large area around Amsterdam UMC, VU Amsterdam, the ACTA dentistry training programme, and the Zuidas Botanical Garden has been permanently smoke-free. There are also examples in other parts of the city, including the ferry and Beverwijkstraat in Noord. More no-smoking zones will be introduced in Amsterdam in 2021. A ban on smoking in the street, by means of a municipal byelaw, has yet to be introduced in Amsterdam, unlike in Groningen.

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