Health Minister lobbies for higher vodka prices and to write-off hospitals' debts

Most probably his Ministry will try to limit the number of commercials advertising alcohol products on TV. The reason for this direction of policy is the fact that since the excise duty on alcohol was reduced, the public began to drink a lot more of strong alcohol. While three years ago an average Pole consumed 1.7 liters of vodka per year, in 2004 the figure was already 2.5 liters. Another change postulated by the ministry is likely to be slightly more costly for the state budget, as Zbigniew Religa announced he would do his best to urge the government to write-off all the loans taken by state hospitals from the budget. "We will prepare a detailed amendment to the law and the final decision will be the government's," said the Minister. The annulment of loans would enable the hospitals to diminish the value of their combined debt of zł.9 billion. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A6) A.F.