Suggestions that foreign tourists be banned from Amsterdam’s cannabis cafes, or coffee shops, have been greeted with alarm by experts. ‘The plan is doomed to fail’ criminologist Ton Nabben told a meeting of city councillors. ‘It will be disastrous for feelings of public safety, particular in alleys and dark corners.’ In January, Amsterdam’s mayor Femke Halsema published a plan to reduce nuisance and crime caused by the soft drugs industry, by enforcing a national law which means only residents can buy from the coffee shops. But opponents say it will lead to more crime and nuisance, as street dealers return and tourists go underground to use drugs. (See also: Support deprived areas or risk social cohesion collapse, mayors tell next cabinet)