"It's really hard to imagine someone being so unaware of how serious these issues are," esteemed addiction therapist Dr Ewa Woydyłło-Osiatyńska said in TVN24 on Thursday (November 10). She commented on Poland's ruling party chairman Jarosław Kaczyński's words on the problem of alcoholism among women in Poland. "Mr Chairman, it's great you've become concerned with these issues, you've finally seen there is a problem. Pitch in some cash and let's launch a campaign," the psychotherapist appealed.
At a meeting with voters in Ełk on Saturday (November 5) PiS chairman Jarosław Kaczyński said that Poland's low birth rate was a result of abuse of alcohol among women. On the one hand, he admitted he was not a supporter of "very early motherhood", as "a woman needs to mature to become a mother", but on the other, he said: "But if she is boozing until she's 25, then - maybe I'm joking a bit - it's not exactly the best of forecasts in that regard".
He continued this topic also on Sunday, but this time in Olsztyn. He argued that "young women are competing with men when it comes to alcohol consumption". "This is objectively harmful, and an honest politician who knows this, and I have it on good authority, should be saying it because, I repeat, it's harmful," Kaczyński said. In his view, "some biological factors make women much less resilient to alcohol than men and there's nothing you can do about it". "But it doesn't mean I encourage men to drink excessively," he added.
"Remember that in order to become an alcoholic, a man has to drink excessively for an average of 20 years. Some shorter, some longer, as it depends on individual traits, whereas a woman only for two (years - edit.)" - the leader of Poland's ruling party said.
"He is either delusional or completely ignorant"
Esteemed psychotherapist specialising in helping people struggling with addiction, Dr Ewa Woydyłło-Osiatyńska, commented on Kaczyński words on Thursday in TVN24.
"Consequences of alcohol abuse include domestic disturbance, squandered money, terrified children, acts of violence, car accidents, severe diseases," she listed. "If someone says something like this, then - in psychiatric diagnosis terms - he either doesn't know what he's saying and suffers delusions, or it is someone completely ignorant. It's really hard to imagine someone being so unaware of how serious these issues are," she stressed, referring to Kaczyński's comments.
In Dr Woydyłło-Osiatyńska's opinion, "this aspect calls for very serious consequences". "This is a violation of public health policy. Anyone spreading such views, which may decrease chances of public health improvement in the social dimension is sabotaging civil affairs and responsibility for this important area," she said.
"Pitch in on a campaign since you are so concerned"
Ewa Woydyłło-Osiatyńska added she would "very much like to use this toxic and harmful situation". "Mr Chairman, it's great you've become concerned with these issues, you've finally seen there is a problem. Pitch in some cash and donate these 2 or 20 million - that you are spending on not so socially important causes - to a campaign. Let's launch such a campaign," she called upon Jarosław Kaczyński.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, TVN24