Bols warns Newsweek to withdraw poisoned vodka story

Unicom Bols Group, producer of Bols vodka, threatened the Polish edition of Newsweek with a law suit in reaction to an article titled "Forty percent poison" published by the weekly. In the article the magazine said that the mafia have pushed 3 million Bols and Absolwent-labelled vodka bottles into the market, which allegedly contain the poisonous alcohol - methanol. According to Tomasz Wroblewski, Newsweek editor-in-chief, Unicom Bols Group requested that Newsweek recall all the issues which are already on sale, as well as cancel advertising and Internet articles referring to the story. "There is very little we can do because the entire print run has sold out," said Wroblewski, who also claimed that Bols is behind the mass purchases of the latest issue. Spokesperson for the Unicom Bols Group, Irena Jaworska, declared that the company will file a law suit against Newsweek requesting multi-million zloty compensation for undermining consumer confidence in the brand name. "Information in the media about these 3 million vodka bottles entering the market is groundless and is misleading consumers," Jaworska told Rzeczpospolita. She added the company will take action against illegal distilleries if any counterfeit vodka bottles bearing Unicom Bols Group brand names are found. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A5) M.T.K.