Polish parliament approves ban on nighttime alcohol sales in shops

An overwhelming majority of MPs in the Sejm, the lower house of Poland’s parliament, have voted in favour of a bill that would introduce tough new anti-alcohol measures, including a ban on all forms of advertising and on sales in shops during nighttime hours.

The legislation must still pass through the upper-house Senate and will then require the signature of President Karol Nawrocki. However, given the level of support – with only two small far-right groups voting against the bill – it appears likely the measures will be approved.

The new restrictions were initially proposed in separate bills submitted by two junior members of Poland’s ruling coalition, The Left (Lewica) and the centrist Poland 2050 (Polska 2050), which were combined into a single package.

The measures include a ban on the sale of alcohol for off-premises consumption between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., with local authorities able to extend those hours up to 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. if they wish. Bars, clubs and restaurants would still be allowed to sell alcohol for on-premises consumption as presently.

Almost 200 Polish municipalities, including large cities such as Warsaw and Kraków , have already introduced their own local bans on nighttime alcohol sales.

In the first six months following the implementation of its restrictions in 2023, Kraków saw a nearly 50% decrease in nighttime police interventions , with other cities reporting similar improvements.

The newly approved bill also includes a complete ban on advertising and promoting alcoholic drinks. Those who violate the prohibition can be fined up to 1 million zloty (€228,400).

Packaging for alcoholic drinks will be required to include warnings about their harmful effect on pregnant women and minors. The legislation also toughens requirements for shop staff to check the age of buyers if they suspect they may be underage.

The cost of licences to sell alcohol will be increased from 525 to 1,050 zloty for drinks with up to 18% alcohol content and from 2,100 to 4,200 zloty for stronger drinks.

In a vote on Thursday night, the bill won support from 400 of the 433 MPs present in the Sejm, the more powerful lower house of parliament. The only groups that did not vote in favour were the far-right Confederation (Konfederacja) and Confederation of the Polish Crown (KKP).

The legislation now passes to the upper-house Senate, which can suggest amendments but only delay, not block, a bill’s passage. Once finally approved by parliament, it will reach the desk of President Karol Nawrocki, who can sign the bill, veto it, or send it to the constitutional court for assessment.

Nawrocki, who is aligned with the right-wing opposition, has vetoed a record number of bills . However, given the level of support for the alcohol bill in the Sejm, including from the largest opposition groups, Law and Justice (PiS) and Development Plus (Rozwój Plus), it appears likely he will sign it.

In June, an IBRiS poll for the Rzeczpospolita daily found that 55% of Poles support some form of ban on nighttime alcohol sales while 43% are opposed. A survey by IBP for Super Express published today showed even stronger support, with 67% in favour of a ban and only 26% opposed.

Recent data released by Statistics Poland (GUS), a state agency, showed that alcohol consumption among Poles is continuing its recent decline .

In 2025, the average Pole drank 81.7 litres of beer, down 4.9% from the previous year and 18.7% from the peak of 100.5 litres per person in 2018. Likewise, consumption of spirits and liqueurs fell 5.9% year-on-year in 2025 to 3.2 litres per person. That was 13.5% down from a peak of 3.7 litres in 2019.

However, alcohol consumption is still higher than it was two decades ago, with the average Pole drinking 28% more spirits and 1.2% more beer in 2025 than in 2005.