Alcohol prices adjustable top -down. The Senate is working on the list of “minimal”

The petition commission decided on Tuesday to conduct legislative work on a petition introducing minimum prices for 100 grams of 100 % alcohol contained in alcoholic beverages and the mechanism of indexing this price proportionally to the increase in wages in Poland.

Resort positions were presented during the meeting.

The author of the petition is the Mazowiecki Association of Abstinence Associations. According to the petitoctors, despite the systematic increase in excise duty from alcoholic beverages, their economic availability increases rapidly, and the additional impact on alcohol prices has promotions organized by commercial networks, which sell such drinks retail even at a price lower than the amount of excise duty paid by producers.

The opinion of the Ministry of Health was presented during the Tuesday meeting. MZ emphasized that, according to the World Health Organization, alcohol taxation and price policy are among the most effective and profitable alcohol control measures. The ministry announced that the research carried out in countries where the minimum price was adopted shows that although it has the greatest impact on reducing consumption in the group of people drinking the most, a reduction in consumption was also recorded in the general population.

The Ministry of Finance was not justified to implement the indicated postulate. The ministry indicated in its position to introductory regulations in the period 2022-2027, successive, annual increases in excise duty rates for excise goods being stimulants, including alcoholic beverages. As emphasized by the ministry, the proportional increase in taxation of alcoholic beverages allowed to preserve the structure of the production of alcoholic beverages and the supply of agricultural products. In their opinion, in retrospect, it can be stated that the adopted solutions fulfill the expected role and no increase in alcohol consumption is noticed.

The committee was also received by the opinion of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. In the opinion, sufficient data was not presented to support the legitimacy of establishing such changes. The ministry also drew attention to the excise tax. He emphasized that consumers guided only by the price criterion reach for cheaper alcoholic beverages. The ministry added that if the minimum price is introduced for a portion of alcohol, some consumers may also reach for alcohol from an illegal source.

The commission was also received by the opinion of the Ministry of Development and Technology, which indicated as appropriate competence to comment on the demands of petitions, the Ministry of Health.

In its opinion, the Association of Employers of the Polish Spirit Industry (ZPPPS) referred to the example of introducing a minimum price for a standard portion of alcohol in Scotland. The union decided that the introduction of postulates did not solve the problem of harmful and excessive consumption, which results from the Public Health Scotland report. As ZPPPS emphasized, despite the fact that alcoholic beverages became more available, Poles did not start consuming them in larger quantities. According to the relationship, the annual consumption of alcohol per capita has been at a similar level – approx. 9.5 LW calculated to 100 percent. alcohol. They also point to the need for education instead of introducing restrictions.

Grzegorz Święch from the Trade Union of Psychiatric Treatment and Addictions during the meeting drew attention to the still large number of addicted people in Poland. Anna Puchach-Kozioł from the National Center for Addictions decided that the minimum price is a good mechanism to reduce the economic availability of alcohol. “However, due to the emerging discrepancies presented from the Ministry of Finance, we would like to explore this subject and harmonize in this respect,” she noted.

May 14 last year The petition commission began to consider a petitions on taking a legislative initiative regarding the amendment of the Act of 26 October 1982 on upbringing in sobriety and counteracting alcoholism, in order to introduce a minimum price to the Act for a standard portion of alcohol. After conducting the discussion, the senators shared the legitimacy of the petition and decided to consult the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance. (PAP)

WM/ Jann/