Scientists prove that the earlier minors’ experience with alcoholic beverages, the greater the risk that they will drink in a harmful manner as adults. The premature alcohol initiation of minors in Poland is determined by three factors: beer advertising, adult acquiescence and peer group influence.
It starts with 0% beer or “champagne for kids”
According to the law, 0% non-alcoholic beverages that by name, taste and appearance mimic their alcoholic counterparts can be sold and served to minors. However, they raise a number of controversies among addiction prevention experts and psychologists.
– 0% drinks are a good alternative for adults who don’t want, can’t or shouldn’t drink alcohol in a given situation. However, I see a serious problem when such products as 0% beer are reached for by children or teenagers. This is a behavioral problem, which the National Agency for Solving Alcohol Problems pointed out years ago: the availability of 0% beer or wine to minors is raising future consumers of alcoholic versions of these beverages, because this is how we develop the habit of consuming them,” says Dr. Jerzy Gryglewicz, an expert on the report “Alcohol initiation of children and young people in Poland – diagnosis of the problem, causes and consequences.
-Adults mistakenly think that in this way they nullify the effect of the “forbidden fruit” and have more control over the child’s behavior. Meanwhile, children learn attitudes by observing adult behavior – this is how the basic mechanism of social learning works. From the point of view of delaying the age of alcohol initiation, drinks such as “0% beer” should be unavailable to minors,” adds Karolina Krzysik-Klemanów, psychologist and psychotherapist.
The research of the ICWA and 30 years of ESPAD surveys conducted in Poland, indicate that the first alcohol that minors reach for is beer – 78 percent. of them have tried beer with parental consent.
The public health challenge of underage drinking
Experts stress that each year of delayed alcohol initiation can reduce the risk of alcohol addiction in adulthood by up to 14 percent. According to Prof. Mark Krzystanek, the public health challenge is underage drinking, because it is where their alcohol initiation begins:
“Any alcoholic beverage, no matter what its alcohol content or taste, affects the health of minors in the same way, because it contains the same chemical substance: ethanol. However, the legislature treats ethanol in beer leniently, allowing its widespread advertising, wide availability, and price promotions that directly encourage people to buy and drink more. All of this directly affects how the public perceives beer and how readily it is available to minors.”
Report “Alcohol initiation of children and young people in Poland – diagnosis of the problem, causes and consequences” – an expert publication, released in October 2024.”
