City councilors have made a decision. Warsaw is closer to a pilot ban on alcohol sales.

Contents

At an extraordinary session of the City Council, it was decided to introduce a ban on night-time alcohol sales in Warsaw. The matter is not yet finalized, and if the changes are implemented, the solutions will be tested for now. Rafał Trzaskowski has already announced that in a few months, he will present the idea of ​​extending the ban to the entire capital.

Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski requested Wednesday's session. Two weeks ago, the mayor unexpectedly withdrew his proposal to introduce a citywide ban on late-night alcohol sales. Councilors also voted against a proposal by the city council on the same issue, but instead approved two proposals to introduce a ban in Śródmieście and Praga-Północ.

After these events, which reverberated throughout the country, the city's deputy mayor, Jacek Wiśnicki (Polska 2050), who supported Trzaskowski's position, resigned from his position.

It should also be added that the pilot projects voted on by the councilors are now waiting for the decision of the supervisory body, i.e. the voivode, and will then be sent to the district councils of Śródmieście and Praga-Północ for their opinion, and then back to the Warsaw City Council.

Trzaskowski returned to the topic with a new draft resolution. Under this proposal, the ban would apply to Śródmieście and Praga-Północ districts . The restrictions would apply to shops and gas stations between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

See also:

• 

Compared to the regulations already adopted by councilors, the presidential bills include a significant change – the effective date of the resolution – from three months to 14 days. If all goes according to plan, the ban would take effect in the districts, as Trzaskowski said, on November 1st.

According to PAP, the Bielany district also wants to introduce the pilot project in its area, and its representatives have already submitted a request to the chairman of the Warsaw council to include a draft resolution introducing the pilot project in this part of the city in the agenda.

The Polish Press Agency adds that on Wednesday, councilors in Praga-Południe were also scheduled to vote on a motion to the Warsaw City Council to introduce a pilot program of nighttime smoking prohibition in the district. However, according to the activist group "Miasto Jest Nasze" (Miasto Jest Nasze), the session was canceled due to a quorum failure and the absence of many councilors, most of whom were from the Civic Platform (PO).

See also:

• 

The availability of alcohol is currently a hot topic. The Supreme Medical Chamber , among others, has weighed in, pointing out that up to 25% of hospitalized patients are admitted due to acute or chronic alcohol abuse. Therefore, in an appeal issued a few days ago, the Presidium of the Supreme Medical Chamber called on state authorities to introduce a nationwide ban on the sale of alcohol at night outside of licensed establishments, such as pubs and restaurants.

See also:

• 

During Wednesday's session, Trzaskowski explained that there is currently no draft resolution covering the entire city, as he wants to test these solutions to see if the restrictions should be expanded and modified. He also added that he hopes to reach a consensus on this matter in the future.

He added that a preliminary decision has been made to introduce a citywide ban on night-time alcohol sales. At a press conference before the session, Trzaskowski said: "At the press conference before the session began, Trzaskowski announced that he would submit a motion "in March at the latest" to have the restriction implemented citywide, effective June 1, 2026."

This time, unlike two weeks ago, Civic Coalition (KO) councilors supported the mayor's idea. Moreover, they submitted an amendment specifying that the ban would apply from 10 p.m., not 11 p.m.

Councilors accepted this amendment and voted in favor of Trzaskowski's project. However, this doesn't mean the matter is settled. Formally, councilors voted to request the opinion of the Śródmieście and Praga Północ district councils regarding the pilot project in these two districts.

Between 2018 and 2024, approximately 180 municipalities in Poland introduced night-time prohibitions. In June of this year, Giżycko introduced night-time prohibitions during the tourist season. Słupsk enacted similar regulations in July, and Szczecin in early August. In Gdańsk, night-time prohibitions took effect in early September.