Shocking Behind the Scenes of Youth Initiation into Alcohol in Poland. New Report Reveals Everything

According to the report , 62.7% of Polish women and men in the age group 18-29 tried alcohol when they were under 18. In the older age groups 50-59, 60-69 and 70 and over, reaching for alcohol before reaching adulthood was declared by 27.5%, 21.3% and 23.6%, respectively.

Study participants most often indicated that the first time they reached for:

• for beer - 46.8 percent,
• wine - 28.5%,
• spirits (vodka or whiskey) - 9%,
• champagne, prosecco or sparkling wine - 8.2%

Most often, they tried alcohol for the first time with friends (64.8%) or at a family party (24.3%).

- If we look at the group of Polish women and men aged 18-29, 14% of them have tried alcohol at the age of 14 or younger. Their most common choice was beer. Beer has dominated the alcohol market in Poland, it is the cheapest and most available, we have a leaky system when it comes to the ban on buying it by minors - all this means that more and more young people reach for alcohol - indicated Alan Wysocki, who was responsible for coordinating and preparing the report as part of the "Zero percent truth" campaign.

He stressed that, in his opinion, alcohol advertising has a significant impact on this .

- Alcohol advertisements are the only factor creating the drinking culture in Poland. There is no counterbalance here. Young people lack tools that would protect them from the manipulation of advertisements - said Alan Wysocki.

91.2% of respondents stated that drinking alcohol from a young age has a harmful effect on health. 71.1% declared that they expect politicians to take more decisive action regarding early alcohol initiation among minors.

During Monday's press conference, Monika Rosa, MP of the Civic Coalition and chairwoman of the Sejm's Committee on Children and Youth, pointed out that it is necessary to regulate the issue of alcohol advertising.

- Firstly, we should introduce a ban on advertising zero percent alcohol. Theoretically, this is an advertisement for a zero percent product, but in reality it is a specific brand that is associated with alcohol. This leads to building bad habits. Secondly, aggressive and omnipresent alcohol advertisements on the internet, which reach the youngest children. Regulation of this issue is necessary - assessed Monika Rosa.

She added that it is very important to educate children and young people about the dangers of drinking alcohol. The GrowSpace Foundation conducted focus group studies among young people, which showed that they have low awareness of the dangers of drinking alcohol.

Among the respondents, 61.8% were in favour of a complete ban on alcohol advertising, including beer.

Currently, there is a ban on advertising alcohol in Poland, except for beer. Beer can be advertised provided that the advertisement is not directed at minors, does not link alcohol consumption with physical fitness or driving, does not encourage excessive alcohol consumption, does not evoke associations with sexual attractiveness, relaxation or rest, study or work, professional or life success.

The GrowSpace Foundation, as part of its "Zero Percent Truth" campaign, is demanding the introduction of a total ban on alcohol advertising, including beer and zero percent beer-branded beverages, as well as the promotion of alcohol in points of sale. It also calls for consistent enforcement of the ban on serving and selling alcohol to minors, strengthening the competences of teachers through training and workshops on alcohol consumption by young people, and developing and implementing preventive programs in local communities.

The report states that the study by the Nationwide Research Group was conducted on a representative sample of 1,001 people. The self-declaration method was used. The confidence level is 95 percent, and the statistical error is 4.3 percent.

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