Amsterdam's plan to pay alcoholics in beer is actually not a bad idea

Hear me out...

Beer
(Image credit: (Thinkstock))

It's not all that surprising that a country that responds to prostitution by designating a now-thriving red light district is responding to alcoholism and public drunkenness with free beer. But it's hard to imagine America mimicking the Dutch government's strategy of paying alcoholics to clean Amsterdam's city streets with five beers, a half-packet of rolling tobacco, and 10 euros (a little over $13).

With support from the government and private donations, the Rainbow Foundation has organized a small group of alcoholics into two groups of three-day shifts of cleaning the streets. They start the day off at 9 am with the breakfast of champions: Two beers and the option of coffee. They work until lunch, when they are given two more beers and a warm meal. They are given one more beer when the workday ends at 3:30 in the afternoon.

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Emily Shire is chief researcher for The Week magazine. She has written about pop culture, religion, and women and gender issues at publications including Slate, The Forward, and Jewcy.