NCJ Number
150689
Journal
Derecho Penal y Criminologia Volume: 12 Issue: 40 Dated: (January/April 1990) Pages: 103-115
Date Published
1990
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Polish laws on alcohol and crime are reviewed, including general and specific regulations, such as driving under the influence and production or sale of alcohol or alcohol production products by private individuals in a country in which the State controls alcohol manufacture and distribution.
Abstract
Alcohol is considered a major cause of crime and delinquency in Poland where one in four crimes committed involves alcohol. Between 1980 and 1983, when alcohol sales were rationed by the State, from 22.6 to 25.9 percent of criminal suspects were under the influence of alcohol at the time the crime was committed; in 1983, 77.5 percent of homicide suspects were under the influence of alcohol. In general, the Polish Penal Code stipulates that driving under the influence of alcohol can result in imprisonment from 6 months to 10 years, depending on the severity of injury and distress caused by the driver. In the Polish legal system, responsibility is determined by the defendant's ability to understand and control the consequences of actions. In the case of drinking, people who knowingly become intoxicated are said to be fully responsible for their actions. Despite attempts to resolve the drinking and crime problem, there is still much to be done to ameliorate this continuing problem in Poland. Some comparisons are made with Colombian laws. 25 notes