The Health Ministry said total admissions at Kraków hospital emergency departments remained broadly unaffected after the ban took effect. Hospitals reported 158,513 patients from January–September 2025, compared with 208,275 in full-year 2024, 196,149 in 2023, 193,869 in 2022 and 157,908 in 2021.
The ministry noted 2021 was atypical due to COVID-19 restrictions, and cautioned that the totals do not indicate how many patients were under the influence of alcohol.
By contrast, Interior Ministry data show a steady decline in police interventions tied to alcohol misuse after the curbs began.
There were 356 such interventions in January–September 2025, down from 534 in 2024 (441 to September), 655 in 2023 (532 to September), 778 in 2022 (605 to September) and 424 in 2021 (291 to September).
The figures cover six Kraków hospitals and were provided alongside police data in answers to parliamentary questions filed in September by Paweł Jabłoński, a lawmaker from the conservative opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, amid wider debate over similar measures in other cities.
Kraków’s ban, in force since July 1, 2023, prohibits retail alcohol sales citywide from midnight to 5:30 a.m. Alcohol may still be purchased on-premise in bars and restaurants during those hours.
Warsaw plans to introduce a night sales ban in the Śródmieście and Praga-Północ districts from Nov. 1. Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski said he will propose extending the measure citywide from June 1, with the draft to be submitted in the spring.
(jh)
Source: PAP