Addiction psychotherapist: the night-time alcohol prohibition in Warsaw is a fight for life, not for freedom
The decision by Warsaw councilors to introduce a nighttime alcohol ban only in the city center and Praga-Północ districts sparked a wave of commentary from experts. Addiction psychotherapist Anna Biskot expressed outrage, emphasizing that opponents of the ban were effectively defending "the devil's invention." Other experts also weighed in, pointing to a lack of courage in tackling alcoholism in the capital.
Addiction psychotherapist Anna Biskot, speaking to the Polish Press Agency (PAP), sharply criticized the decision by Warsaw city councilors to reject a proposal to introduce a nighttime smoking ban across the entire city. Instead, a pilot program was adopted in two districts: Śródmieście and Praga-Północ.
Nothing takes away freedom like alcohol and drugs. That's the first thing. And secondly, to those who shout about freedom and the right to shop at night, I would recommend five mandatory shifts at the detox facility and five at the sobering-up station on Kolska Street. Not for watching, but for working," said Biskot, emphasizing the tragedy of people drawn into nighttime drinking binges.
According to Biskot, night-time alcohol sales have a direct impact on addiction relapses.
I wasn't supposed to drink anymore, but I got hungry. It was midnight, I went out, bought some, started drinking, and drank for a week," she quoted her patients as saying.
The psychotherapist emphasizes that defending the sale of alcohol at night is irrational and comparable to defending poison. She believes a citywide ban would be sufficient to curb violence, brawls, and noise.
At a recent session of the Warsaw City Council, Vice Mayor Jacek Wiśnicki (Polska2050) resigned, referring to a "facade document" and capitulation to lobbyists. Agata Diduszko-Zyglewska of the Left and Miasto Jest Nasze (The City Is Ours) expressed a similar sentiment:
This is a mockery of the residents, the police, the city guard, and the doctors.
Biskot directly points to the power of the alcohol industry:
The alcohol lobby is so powerful that one can only be ashamed to look at Denmark or Lithuania . There, in five minutes, they removed advertising, raised the purchasing age to 21 , restricted sales to 10 p.m., and the death rate dropped. Here? We're debating whether even two districts can manage it.
The psychotherapist emphasized that in countries that decided to implement strict regulations, the effects were visible almost immediately.
In Lithuania, drinking was killing people en masse. They introduced a ban on night-time sales, and the alcohol mortality rate started to straighten out. It's as simple as pie. And we in Warsaw still wonder if anyone might feel wronged for not buying a beer at 2 a.m.," she said.
One of the most frequently repeated counterarguments to the ban is the fear of an expanding illegal alcohol trade. Biskot believes this is a myth.
There have been, are, and will always be speakeasies, but that only applies to the poorest who drink moonshine and booze. This isn't an argument against a ban. Many people will simply give up if they can't go to the corner store. And that will save at least a few.
Biskot does not hide his emotions when talking about the helplessness of the therapeutic environment:
Therapists are furious. We're so angry, we think we're going to start a revolution in this country . Because it's unacceptable that, knowing how alcohol destroys people, educated councilors are helping to sell it . This is not only irrational, it's downright cruel.
In conclusion, she added:
Alcohol is not a basic necessity. It's not bread, not milk, not medicine. It's the devil's invention, killing people slowly but surely. Defending its sale at night is unimaginable to me.
Currently, around 180 municipalities in Poland have introduced nighttime smoking bans. In Kraków, Bydgoszcz, and Biała Podlaska, it covers the entire city, while in others, it covers only the city centers. Since September, the ban has also been in effect in Gdańsk, and during the tourist season, in Giżycko and Słupsk.
Psychiatrist Andrzej Silczuk noted:
The decision of the Warsaw City Council will certainly affect the city's image among European capitals and the health of its residents.
Psychotherapist Andrzej Górniak added:
Warsaw councilors' decision to impose a nighttime prohibition in just two districts is an illusion. An addict will still find alcohol and walk several kilometers to satisfy their cravings. If the ban applies to the entire city, it could have a real impact, as in Krakow, where the number of disturbances and interventions has decreased.
Source: PAP/Mira Suchodolska/MH
Source: PAP/own work Updated: 19/09/2025 16:00
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