Wioleta Tomczak MP: “It’s time to halt promoting alcohol and disposable e-cigarettes”

– I have never seen specified advanced social and political support for changes in anti-alcoholic policy,” says Wioleta Tomczak, Vice-President of the Parliamentary Committee on Health, who “to the planet Doctor” talks about work on reducing alcohol advertising, plans to destruct “mallet” and disposable e-cigarettes, as well as on the wellness challenges of women, endometriosis and influenza vaccinations

We are trying very bravely to make a health-promoting public policy in the Sejm. On last year's experience concerning, among others, the decision of the capital city of Warsaw not to introduce a night's regulation on the sale of alcohol throughout the city, a very strong discussion about the direction the state should take in anti-alcoholic policy.

Many months earlier, we have asked the Ministry of wellness whether it plans to amend the Law on Sobriety Education and Anti-Drugism. At the end of 2024, at the Parliament gathering of the Committee on Health, we were assured that the task would go to the Sejm in the first 4th of 2025. But that did not happen. So we couldn't wait any longer. Both the Polish 2050 parliamentary club and the Left have submitted their own draft laws, which we are presently working on. A peculiar subcommittee has been created to analyse them [1].

For the first time in years, the Sejm is having specified a broad, multi-threaded discussion on circumstantial areas of anti-alcoholic policy. We are talking about banning the promotion and advertising of alcohol, about physical availability, whether alcohol should be displayed in separate alleys, or whether it should be sold at fuel stations. We besides address the subject of the valorisation of liquor concessions. Fees have not been raised in 23 years. The entrepreneur, who over 2 decades ago paid PLN 525 for the anticipation of selling beer, present pays precisely the same. It's completely detached from modern realities.

Subcommittee meetings are of large interest. They are attended by representatives of the alcoholic industry, lobbyists, entrepreneurs, but also, which I am very pleased with, organizations helping people in the alcohol crisis, children of adult alcoholics, doctors, public wellness experts and representatives of technological organizations. It is peculiarly crucial for me to have very advanced public and political support for the proposed changes. We're after talking to president Charles Nawrock, whom I'm counting on. As a public wellness expert with 18 years of experience, I've never seen anything like this before. I hope that the bill will be adopted later this year.

At the same time, a government draft amendment of the Anti-Tobacco Act is being implemented. It assumes the elimination of disposable electronic cigarettes. The task is presently in the process of notification to the European Commission. We are not the first country to take this initiative, so we hope that the European Commission will not object. As parliamentarians, taught by erstwhile experience, we know that any major change would require a re-notification. That's why we're most likely going to adopt the government draft.

The most crucial thing remains to follow up on public wellness in this parliamentary term. The first has already happened – increases were introduced and the sale of nicotine products and non-nicotine products was banned for children and young people. Now we want to destruct disposable e-cigarettes and limit alcohol promotion. That would be a truly good step. The next step should be the full elimination of ‘malms’, which is alcohol sold in tiny packages, but first we must complete the work on the amendment to the law on sobering up. In our discussions with parliamentarians, we see much support for this solution. If we can work beyond political divisions, I think that at the end of this parliamentary word there will be a chance to adopt the bill.

[1] This is an extraordinary sub-committee for consideration of draft laws: amending the Law on Sobriety Education and Anti-Addicting Alcoholism and the Law on Public-funded wellness Care Services (Print No 2007) and amending the Law on Sobriety Education and Anti-Addicting Alcoholism and the Law on Radiophony and tv (Print No 2010)

Grzegorz Napieralski (KO) – President
Wioleta Tomczak (Poland 2050) – Deputy President
Janusz Cieszynski (PiS) – Deputy Chairman
Joanna Wicha (Levice) – Deputy Chairman

These include:
Krzysztof Bojarski (KO)
Włodzisław Gizinski (KO)
Frederick Sylwester Kapinos (PiS)
Radosław Lubczyk (PSL-TD)
Jerzy Polaczek (PiS)
Anna Sobolak (KO)
Catherine Sójka (PiS)
Witold Tumanovich (Confederation)
Marcelina Zawisza (Together)