Krzysztof Brzózka mentioned the figures in an interview with private television broadcaster Polsat News.
He said on Monday: “Among the 3 million people in our country who have an alcohol problem, there are some 500,000-600,000 women.”
“What should be of concern is the rapidly growing number of deaths from cirrhosis,” Brzózka told Polsat News. He added: ”Women develop the problem much faster than men.”
He pointed out that women, “due to the chemical composition of their bodies, and a fewer number of enzymes that recycle alcohol, develop the illness easier and faster, while finding it harder to overcome it.”
According to Brzózka, “at age 15 to 17, girls drink as much as boys, but in later years there is a marked divergence and men drink more, especially those with lower education ... and a low self-esteem.”
Alcohol affects male fertility
Meanwhile, “among women, drinking is more prevalent among the university-educated, resourceful and highly professionally active,” Brzózka said, adding that “this is caused by emotional issues.”
Brzózka told Polsat News that “there is no scientific evidence to suggest that alcohol use influences women’s fertility,” whereas “there is evidence that it impacts male fertility.”
Alcohol ads target youngsters, young women
Brzózka argued that in Poland, “the number of alcohol ads is virtually unlimited, the biggest in Europe,” with youngsters and young women “and sometimes even children” being the prime targets.
He said this was “a crime against the upbringing of youngsters and against young women." He also estimated that the prices of alcohol were rising slower than inflation.
Measures to reduce alcohol use
Brzózka outlined several possible policies to reduce alcohol consumption in society, including “making alcohol less accessible economically, banning alcohol advertising, banning alcohol from service-station shops, banning the sale of alcohol during nighttime, making sure people buy alcohol when sober, and introducing a minimum price for alcohol, the PAP news agency reported.
pm/gs
Source: PAP, tvp.info