Railway police issue up to 15 smoking fines

8 January 2004

AMSTERDAM — Railway police have issued between 10 and 15 fines since new smoke-free legislation on trains and platforms and in the workplace came into force on 1 January. But generally, smokers are said to be accepting the legal encroachment on their personal liberty.

A spokesman for the national police corps KLPD said in general, commuters are abiding by regulations against smoking on under-cover train station platforms, nu.nl reported on Thursday. They can only smoke at designated “smoking poles”.

All illegally smoking passengers are receiving a warning in the first two weeks of January and those who continue to light up or refuse to butt their cigarettes out can receive a fine of EUR 26.

Radio 1 has reported that police are not specifically hunting for illegal smokers, but will take the appropriate action when someone is spotted smoking where they should not.

And the police spokesman said most smokers have been opting to butt their cigarettes out once requested to do so by police. The pro-smokers’ rights revolution, it seems, has thus not yet started.

Subject: Dutch news