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Alcohol consumption remains the leading cause of morbidity and premature mortality of young and middle-aged adults in Poland. Both vodka and beer consumption levels have increased in Poland in the last 15 years due to alcohol tax decreases and lax marketing laws. In 2008 the Polish spirits industry began promoting a new format of vodka drinking-small vodka bottles (SVBs). This article outlines the rapidly growing popularity of SVBs and their impact on alcohol consumption patterns in Poland. It also suggests some reasons underlying the growth of the SVB market, including easy availability, wide range of choices, convenience, and low prices. It concludes with a call for independent research that could help better understand, and effectively address, this new phase of Poland's alcohol epidemic.

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This report examines what has come to be known as “vaccine nationalism” through the lens of the early experience with the COVID-19 vaccination process. After explaining the meaning of the term, this report investigates how this phenomenon has manifested during the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying its epidemiological, economical, ethical and legal aspects. It also looks at the different international initiatives that have been adopted to deal with it, concentrating in this context on the COVAX project. The report concludes that the success of these initiatives has been limited. It also observes that COVID-19 vaccine nationalism appears to be a phenomenon that is characteristic of the high-income Western countries, while in aspiring non-Western powers the vaccine crisis is primarily seen as a way to advance their geopolitical goals.