Alcoholic Tubes Spark Concerns in Poland

The news in Polish

1. pojawić
   stać się widocznym lub dostępnym po raz pierwszy ↩︎
2. zmienić
   spowodować, że coś staje się inne ↩︎
3. opakowanie (n.)
   materiał, który stanowi zewnętrzną powłokę produktu, chroniąc go lub ułatwiając jego transport ↩︎
4. zakazany
   zabroniony, niedozwolony przez prawo ↩︎
5. prawo (n.)
   zespół przepisów lub zasady ustalające prawa i obowiązki ludzi ↩︎
6. zmienić
   spowodować, że coś staje się inne ↩︎
7. producent (m.)
   firma lub osoba, która wytwarza towary ↩︎

Translation

Text Comprehension

Question: What is the main concern people have about alcoholic tubes in Poland?

Question: Who is one of the politicians that wants to change the law about alcoholic tubes?

Vocabulary

Polish	English
pojawić	appear
zakazany	prohibited
producent (m.)	producer
opakowanie (n.)	packaging
prawo (n.)	law
zmienić	change

Read the full story

In Poland, a growing concern has emerged regarding the sale of alcoholic tubes whose packaging closely resembles that of fruit and vegetable purées. The matter has caught the attention of Minister of Education and Science, Barbara Nowacka, who has pledged to take action to address what she views as a regulatory loophole exploited by manufacturers.

Speaking on Polish Radio, Nowacka expressed her deep objection as a parent and a minister, highlighting the risk that such packaging poses by causing potential confusion among children and their families. She announced plans to request legislative changes from the Ministry of Health, aiming to prevent alcoholic beverages from being marketed in deceptive packaging. “Considering these products as harmless is unacceptable, and therefore urgent actions are required,” she remarked.

The issue has also elicited a response from Monika Horna-Cieślak, the Children’s Rights Ombudsman, who described these “alco-tubes” as a potential threat. She has reached out to both the Ministry of Health for instant legal interventions and the manufacturers, urging a halt to their production and distribution. Horna-Cieślak emphasized that such packaging could easily mislead not only children but also parents, potentially resulting in unintentional alcohol consumption by youngsters.

Earlier, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk addressed the controversy, noting that the matter has rightfully stirred public concern. Agriculture Minister Czesław Siekierski vowed to seek a rapid solution to this predicament. Meanwhile, the producer of these alcoholic sachets, OLVO, defended their choice of packaging as practical and dismissed the allegations as “absurd.”

In addition to regulatory action, Nowacka announced plans for the introduction of a new health education subject in schools, slated to commence next year. Developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the sports department, this initiative aims to enhance awareness concerning alcohol and other health matters among students.

The debate over the packaging of alcoholic products that mimic child-friendly designs continues, highlighting critical discussions around marketing ethics and consumer safety in Poland.

Info: ‘Polish Learner News’ is a service from ‘Let’s Learn Polish’, a language school dedicated to teaching Polish. We offer a variety of online Polish course options designed to cater to different learning needs and levels.