Alcoholics paid in beer and tobacco to clean streets in Amsterdam

Washington – Dutch officials are paying alcoholics 10 euros along with half-packet of rolling tobacco and five cans of beer to clean the streets.

Rainbow Foundation Project, which is partially funded by the Dutch government, gives out two beers when the work day begins at 9 a.m., two beers during lunch and then participants are given a beer to take home after work, CBS News reported.

The organization monitors their alcohol intake, which the participants claim is much lighter as it contains only 5 percent alcohol, compared to the 11 or 12 percent brews they typically consume.

Gerrie Holterman, who runs the Rainbow Foundation Project, told AFP said that these chronic alcoholics were causing a nuisance in Amsterdam’s Oosterpark and the project was started to keep them occupied so that they no longer cause trouble at the park.

There are currently two groups of about 10 people who are employed by the project, and they work three days per week.