To combat nuisance in The Hague, areas have once again been designated where begging, soft drug use, and/or alcohol consumption are prohibited. These are specific areas in all city districts with various facilities that attract disruptive individuals and groups, such as train stations, facilities for people with addiction problems, shopping streets, squares, and entertainment venues. Furthermore, begging around schools, cemeteries, and places of worship remains prohibited throughout the city. The use of soft drugs and alcohol is also prohibited in the vicinity of schools and playgrounds.
Mayor Jan van Zanen of The Hague informed the City Council today about the decision and the evaluation of areas with a ban on soft drugs, alcohol, and/or begging over the past few years. The designated bans on soft drugs, alcohol, and begging apply for the next three years, until April 1, 2029.
In addition to bans on soft drugs, alcohol, and begging, other measures are being taken in these areas to improve livability and safety. This applies, for example, to additional surveillance and addiction care around the shelter locations. Youth work is also active in the city, efforts are being made against disruptive youth groups, and a person-centered approach is being used regarding repeat offenders and individuals with mental health issues. Furthermore, many areas with a ban fall under a broader approach to improve livability in those neighborhoods.
Enforcement
Over the past three years (2023, 2024, and 2025), a total of 11,181 fines have been issued by enforcement officers and the police based on the prohibitions. An upward trend is visible here. According to enforcement officers and the police, they are encountering more individuals engaging in disruptive behavior. Almost seven out of ten fines were issued in the City Centre. This district is also very busy, both in terms of the number of people present and facilities that attract disruptive individuals and groups.
Many fines reveal a pattern of frequent nuisance. A ban on soft drugs, alcohol, and/or begging aims to prevent nuisance and provides enforcement officers and the police with a tool to take immediate action against violations. However, the fine figures do not tell the whole story. The absence of fines can also mean that a ban is working well to prevent nuisance. In that case, the enforcement of a ban has a preventive effect. This is evident, for example, from experiences with the begging ban on Dierenselaan. In the first few months after the ban was introduced in the shopping street, fines were issued, then there was a period of no further issues, after which the nuisance returned later.
Ban around schools and playgrounds
In most areas, the bans remain unchanged. However, based on experiences and developments in the city, it has been decided to implement some adjustments. For instance, it is now prohibited to consume alcohol within a 50-meter radius of schools and playgrounds. The use of soft drugs was already prohibited there. Soft drug use causes odor nuisance and a blurring of norms among young people, plus it leads to public play areas being avoided. Furthermore, the evaluation shows that alcohol consumption can have an escalating effect and leads to confrontations between residents and visitors.
Laak and Binckhorst
Furthermore, measures are being expanded in Laak with a begging ban in certain streets. Nuisance caused by beggars has increased in the shopping areas there. Residents of Laak have regularly reported this, indicating that beggars are pushy towards shoppers. It is expected that the begging ban, in addition to other measures in the Laak Action Plan, will help improve livability and safety in the neighborhood. The ban on soft drugs, alcohol, and begging at the Binckhorst is also new. This decision was made in view of the arrival of the night shelter facility on Binckhorstlaan, where homeless people will stay temporarily.
Not renewed
The ban on soft drugs, alcohol, and begging in Bezuidenhout has been terminated. It is a deliberate choice by the municipality not to continuously designate all locations in the city as areas where prohibitions apply when there is no justification for doing so. The bans are always assessed based on reports, experiences, and developments. It should be noted that there are also locations where alcohol can be consumed openly, such as well-known recreational and leisure spots like the Zuiderpark, The Hague beaches, and the Madestein recreation area. This does not alter the fact that enforcement officers and the police monitor these areas to prevent abuses and take action in cases of nuisance.
Check the website for the current overview of soft drug, alcohol, and begging bans in the municipality: Areas with an alcohol, soft drug, or begging ban – The Hague
