DUTCH LAWMAKERS VOTE TO LIFT 1912 BAN ON BROTHELS

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -- Dutch lawmakers have passed a bill to overturn a
1912 ban on brothels, saying officials could better control crime if sex
clubs were legitimate businesses.

The legislation sailed through the lower house of parliament Tuesday with
the support of an overwhelming majority of lawmakers. It still needs to be
passed by the upper house before it can become law.

Although prostitution itself is legal in the Netherlands, running bordellos
remains against the law. Still, they have long been allowed to operate in
certain districts as long as they follow strict standards for health and
fire safety.

The bill is an attempt to crack down on the use of underage girls and
illegal immigrants as prostitutes.

There are an estimated 30,000 prostitutes in the Netherlands. Supporters of
the bill say it will lead to tighter regulations that would help the
government make sure only women 18 or older are employed by brothels, and
stop the recruitment of foreign women for the sex industry.

It also aims to control trafficking in drugs and weapons, which often
occurs in the seedy neighborhoods where bordellos tend to flourish.