A report by the National Institute of Public Health of the National Institute of Hygiene in Warsaw shows that the stereotype of the hard-drinking Pole is untrue.

Report by Agnieszka Bielawska.

According to the report Poland is the fourth in terms of the amount of consumed alcohol yearly as compared to other European states. An average Pole drinks some 6.7 liters of spirits annually, which is only three fourths of what an average European drinks and a mere half of what the citizens of Luxembourg consume.

Even though we are not the black sheep of Europe and there are countries where people drink more, still health indicators related to alcohol consumption show that deaths due to liver sclerosis have been on the rise during the last three years as have been deaths due to alcohol poisoning. Drunk driving continues to be a huge problem and it is apparent that while inhabitants of large Polish cities may have changed their drinking habits, alcohol consumption still remains a favourite pastime in small localities.

Click on the audio icon above to listen to the report.