Dutch MPs vote to punish small bars for the sins of their bigger counterparts

A small majority of Dutch MPs voted last week for a motion calling for the reinstatement of a ban on smoking in all restaurants, bars and cafés, according to an Expatica story.

Small bars and cafés run by their owners and not employing other staff have been exempt since the ban was relaxed in 2010 by the previous government following a court ruling.

However, the ban, brought in nearly five years ago, is said to be widely flouted in bigger bars, cafés and nightclubs.

It was not clear from the report why, given the situation, the MPs decided to punish those running small bars and cafés within the law, rather than clamping down on those braking the law.

The government must now decide what to do with the motion.

Junior health minister, Martin van Rijn, said last month that he was working on a ‘broad package of [smoking] prevention’.