The German police have advised some fans to smoke cannabis instead of drinking alcohol during the Euro 2024 matches currently taking place in Germany. Germany is hosting the Euro 2024 tournament from June 14 to July 14. The police have prohibited fans from consuming alcohol while attending Euro 2024 matches in public areas.
This decision follows incidents of fan violence that occurred during the match between England and Serbia last Sunday in Gelsenkirchen, which were attributed to alcohol consumption. Germany legalized cannabis just two months prior to the start of Euro 2024; however, fans will not be allowed to smoke it inside the stadium or in fan zones, bars, or city squares.
Police spokesperson Stefan Nieb told the British newspaper "The Sun" before the high-risk match between England and Serbia: "There is no problem for fans to smoke cannabis in the street. We observed a group of people drinking alcohol and appearing somewhat aggressive, while another group was smoking cannabis. We will focus on the group that is drinking alcohol; consuming alcohol can make a person more aggressive, while smoking cannabis tends to calm people down."
He added: "We want to prevent violence and ensure people's safety; our focus will be on the fans consuming alcohol who may become aggressive."
