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  • Amsterdam Alcoholics Are Given Beer to Clean Streets

    Amsterdam Alcoholics Are Given Beer to Clean Streets

    Getting paid in beer might sound like a pretty sweet deal for some of us, but many are questioning Amsterdam’s new program that gives alcoholics beer to clean the streets. As odd as this sounds, Amsterdam officials say these people are actually consuming less alcohol per day now thanks to the program.

    The homeless people who participate in this government-funded street cleaning program are given five cans of lager, half a packet of rolling tobacco and the equivalence of around $11 USD per shift to clean the streets. They are also given a hot lunch. The officials are pretty strict about when these people can consume their beer–they are allowed two beers before work, two at lunch and one after their shift is over. Beer before and during work? It’s easy to see why some people question the program. (But wouldn’t most of us like to get on board for that?)

    Since many people are questioning Amsterdam’s “pay alcoholics beer to work” policy, the leader of this group, Gerrie Holterman, addressed the concerns. “This group of chronic alcoholics was causing a nuisance in Amsterdam’s Oosterpark: fights, noise, disagreeable comments to women,” she said. “The aim is to keep them occupied, to get them doing something so they no longer cause trouble at the park. They’re no longer in the park, they drink less, they eat better and they have something to keep them busy during the day. Heroin addicts can go to shooting galleries, so why shouldn’t we also give people beer?”

    Do you think Amsterdam’s program that gives alcoholics beer to clean streets is a good idea? Respond below.

    Even though Holterman says the Amsterdam alcoholics are consuming less alcohol now thanks to the program, one participant disagrees. “I don’t think that we drink less. When we leave here, we go to the supermarket and transform the €10 we earned into beers,” a man identified as “Frank” said.

    Fortunately, most of the other men in the program have a different perspective. Other participants applaud the program because it provides “structure” and they drink light beer that has a reduced alcohol content. Also, one man says that since he’s put in a hard day of work, he doesn’t really want to drink in the evening.

    [Image via YouTube]

  • Amsterdam Alcoholics Paid with You Guessed it-Beer

    Amsterdam has taken the old adage, “If you can’t beat them, join them,” and ran with it. In order to ensure that the streets of Amsterdam are clean, officials have hired alcoholics to clean the streets, and decidedly chosen a rather unconventional method to pay the workers. After putting in a day of hard work, the men who have been hired will receive the standard expected payment of 10 euros, which is close to $13.

    However, that is not all. The men will also receive half of a packet of rolling tobacco in addition to the coveted five cans of beer. The beer will be distributed in segments throughout the day as a means to continually encourage the work. Two cans will be given at the beginning of the day while two cans will be reserved for the lunch period. The fifth can of beer will be distributed after the full day of work has been completed. Not bad for a hard day’s work!

    Though the decision to employ such a method may seem cavalier, the underlying principle behind the effort took much consideration. According to the head of the Rainbow Foundation project, Gerrie Holterman, there is a methodical society-benefiting purpose for instigating such a plan, which she shared with AFP. “This group of chronic alcoholics was causing a nuisance in Amsterdam’s Oosterpark: fights, noise, disagreeable comments to women. The aim is to keep them occupied, to get them doing something so they no longer cause trouble at the park,” Holterman said.

    Frank, one of the men signed on to participate in the project, explained why such an idea could potentially have positive results. “Lots of us haven’t had any structure in our lives for years, we just don’t know what it is, and so this is good for us. When we leave here, we go to the supermarket and transform the 10 euros we earned into beers.”

    The program is sponsored by the government as well as public donations, and sure has gotten the public talking.

    [Image Via Wikimedia Commons]