Domestic consumption of alcohol is decreasing
Alcohol consumption and related health burdens have declined in Poland in recent years, following a period when alcohol-related harm was rising. The author supports measures such as higher excise taxes and restrictions on late-night sales, noting that behavioral risks still cost Poles substantially more healthy life years than people in Western Europe. However, lower drinking among young people may partly reflect fewer in-person social interactions, not just healthier preferences. International studies have linked declining youth risk behaviors, including drinking, with fewer face-to-face meetings, though they do not establish direct causation.
The author found no equivalent Polish research. If social isolation is contributing to reduced alcohol use, the health benefits may come with a separate cost: loneliness, which also harms health.
(pb.pl)
