IT'S HASH BROWNS TO GO AS MCDOPE ARRIVES IN HOLLAND

THE US may have invented it but the Netherlands will tomorrow take the
drive-through to new, hazier, heights as the Dutch town of Venlo pushes
ahead with plans to cater for drug tourists.

Plans for two drive-throughs to deal with soaring demand for soft drugs go
before civic leaders tomorrow night, and officials expect little opposition.

Already dubbed "McDope" the idea is designed to relieve the pressure on the
small border town which has become a mecca for dope-smokers from Germany.

"The local political parties are quite positive," said Elke Haanraadts, the
town planner in charge of the project designed to control the town's drug
problem.

Ms Haanraadts says it is impossible to gauge the number of people who visit
Venlo each day to buy soft drugs but it often runs into "thousands".

Although the Netherlands has not legalised the supply of marijuana it does
tolerate its sale for personal use and licences 'coffee shops' which offer it.

Although Belgium has taken a similar liberalising step, the same is not the
case in Germany where drugs laws are much tougher.

Five million people live within an hour's drive of the town and a stream of
traffic into the town begins first thing in the morning.

In theory Venlo has five licensed coffee shops where customers can buy and
smoke their favourite marijuana and hashish from among dozens on display.

But there are a further 60 illegal shops which have sprung up to soak up
the massive demand and, according to municipal officials, produced a range
of problems including a trade in harder drugs.

By putting the drive throughs outside town and closer to the German border
they hope tourists will order their joints "to go".

Whether it will improve road safety standards remains to be seen.