Iwona Schymalla: We are going to talk about the very serious public health challenge of alcohol consumption in Poland. A few weeks ago, an affair erupted over so-called alcotubes. Not only was this product quickly withdrawn from the market, but within days a regulation was prepared to introduce restrictions on alcohol packaging. You, Minister, presented at the Health Committee and the Committee on Children and Youth Affairs - a list of planned regulatory changes, regarding the amendment of the Law on Upbringing in Sobriety. It is also worth noting that in the National Health Transformation Plan (2022-2026), alcohol was ranked sixth as a factor affecting the health of Poles and a huge threat to public health. We also have a report by the Institute for Conscious Man on alcohol initiation among young people, which indicates that this process is starting earlier and earlier. Sales, mainly of beer, and its advertising also remain a problem, which is also discussed in the report.
Minister, could I ask for a comment on the Ministry of Health's priorities in regulating alcohol availability?
Wojciech Konieczny: On the part of the Ministry of Health, we would like to see as many of these regulations as possible, so that alcohol becomes less available economically because it is too cheap, less available physically because there are too many points of sale, and so that the packaging of alcohol really does not exceed the generally accepted norms. In the amendment to the law we are proposing, there are a lot of new points. She has grown, because we initially came out with a ban on sales at gas stations from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. However, as this law is being processed, there are more new developments. One of the very important elements affecting our actions and their success is how these regulations will be enforced. The Ministry of Health leads among other ministries in legislation, that is, in issuing laws. On the other hand, compliance with these laws does not depend only on the Ministry of Health, but on other institutions that have the legal and organizational capacity to check these regulations. I think that as a state we also have somethin...
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