Beer cap promotions are another trap for alcoholics and… would-be alcoholics

Beer is also alcohol. It is sold to Poles by the Japanese, the Dutch and the Danes….

Once again: beer is also alcohol. Voilà. Simply put. The same ethyl alcohol is contained in vodka, wine and beer. Except that, it is beer that is most often reached for by minors. Not the monkey. Surprised? The monkey campaign has worked out well for someone and one has to ask: cui bono? Who benefited from it? I leave that thread to the deeper thinkers. And now back to the “innocent” beer. It is after beer that drivers most often drive. Not after a monkey. The data is overwhelming. It is said that to advertise for beer is to expose yourself to the beer lobby. Which one? Probably not the Polish one. And this is where the arguments of those who defend advertising for Polish craft beer fall down. This beer is a promille of what Poles consume. Let’s use AI, just for fun, to see how much the arguments of beer defenders are worth.The Polish beer market is dominated by three major concerns:

1. Kompania Piwowarska: Owned by Japanese conglomerate Asahi Breweries since 2017. It produces brands such as Tyskie, Lech and Żubr.
2. Zywiec Group: Majorly owned by the Dutch Heineken Group. It is responsible for the Żywiec, Warka and Królewskie brands.
3. Carlsberg Polska: Is part of the Danish Carlsberg Group. It produces Okocim, Kasztelan and Harnaś beers.

These three companies accounted for around 80% of beer sales in Poland in 2022. In addition to them, smaller regional and craft breweries operate in the market, such as Van Pur S.A. (Łomża, Brok brands) and Perła – Browary Lubelskie S.A. (Perła, Zwierzyniec). Their combined market share is about 20%. It is worth noting that despite the growing popularity of craft beers, their share in total beer sales in Poland remains small, which may be due to higher production costs and prices of these beers.

A ban on beer advertising does not prohibit its purchase

The Japanese, the Dutch, even the Danes make billions from the sale of beer in Poland, being able to place it in shops next to apples and strawberries, next to crisps and fruit drinks. Cans of non-alcoholic beer are often differentiated by one colour and one word: BEZ. They imitate alcoholic beers perfectly and are placed next to them. It is no surprise that – again citing IBRIS – the majority of underage Poles start their adventure with alcohol with non-alcoholic beer. It is therefore worth taking advantage of the knowledge of addiction therapists, who in unison say the following: “BEZ” beer is an initiation into the world of alcohol. It is an initiation very often of minors. In compliance, unfortunately, with the flawed Polish law. This is why a ban on beer advertising is needed immediately. Those who drink occasionally will buy any alcohol anyway. It is enough to be of legal age. No one is proposing a beer abolition. Everything is for people, but with reason. On the other hand, alcoholics praying for the next bottle to contain a cap with a message about a complimentary next shot of ethanol cannot be supported by the promotional schemes of the big foreign brewing concerns. Let’s not beat lying down.

Beer is sport, sport is health?

There is no serious research that says drinking the popular four-pack is health. Sport is health. So why is beer advertised in football stadiums and on TV in an atmosphere of sporty, healthy living? So that it sells well. What kind of message goes into the recipient’s brain? Beer is harmless. Vodka is dangerous. Famous monkeys are dangerous. And a little beer? Er, no harm done. Again, a handful of data. Beer is no less addictive than vodka, and perhaps more so and more often because it is the most frequently drunk alcohol and in the largest quantities. It is sold more than the famous monkeys. More not only in terms of litre (this is normal), but more in terms of ethyl alcohol content, and this alone is a reliable indicator of the danger in terms of sobriety. If we add that one in three cans is strong, we have the answer. Beer is often bought to satisfy an alcohol craving, a hangover and to flow on (we are talking about the morning ‘admirers’ of four-packs of strong drunk by midday).

Excise duty on beer

A final word, for another occasion, is beer excise duty. Only a few countries in Europe have a lower excise duty on beer than Poland. Here, beer is also privileged, which is why there is an initiative to create a fund for assisted living for the disabled from a small increase in beer excise duty. Such demands are on the banners of carers of disabled people, their parents. Beer, however, cannot easily be excised on European terms. In Poland, it has advertising relief and tacit consent to low excise duty. So what next? There is a new government, a new hand, and it is not entirely clear whether the current government will keep a protective umbrella over breweries and all that they bring to Poles through almost unlimited advertising. What will Donald Tusk’s government do? Time will tell. Robert Wyrostkiewicz