Legislators in the Dutch parliament will now consider the bill, which is being proposed on the basis that mushrooms are 'life-threatening.'

"The use of mushrooms can produce hallucinogenic effects which can lead to extreme or life-threatening behaviour," read a statement from the health ministry.

The decision to ban mushrooms came about partly as a result of the death in March 2007 of Gaelle Caroff, a young French woman on a school visit.

She had consumed mushrooms before jumping off a bridge -- and her face was splashed in newspapers across the Netherlands, prompting a national debate on how to prevent such deaths.

Amsterdam's Mayor Job Cohen had proposed a three day waiting period for mushroom purchases.

But the health and justice ministries advised an outright ban due to natural variations in the potency of mushrooms.

"It's impossible to estimate what amount will have what effect," said Wim Van der Weegen, spokesman for the justice ministry.

A number of other incidents involving mushrooms also raised questions, such as the 22-year-old British tourist who ran amok in a hotel, breaking his window and slicing his hand; the 19-year-old Icelandic tourist who thought he was being chased and jumped from a balcony, breaking both legs; and the 29-year-old Danish tourist who drove his car wildly through a campsite, but miraculously managed to avoid injuring anyone.

Although such incidents are described by figures inside the government as 'rare', high profile media coverage has helped create impetus for a ban.

"The main danger to the user is that he will somehow hurt himself," said Marjan Heuving of the Trimbos Institute, the drug policy arm of the health ministry.

"I should add that that's extremely rare."

The proprietors of the 'smart shops' that sell magic mushrooms believe that the move is part of a wider campaign to end the liberal drug policy of the Netherlands.

"If they succeed with this mushroom ban then I am sure they will try to ban things like cannabis as well," said Freddy Schaap of the VLOS, the trade association of smart shop owners.

"This is part of a wider trend."