Cezary_jurkiewicz_uzywki_w_polsce May 2026

He remembered a party where someone tried to explain the health benefits of artisanal cider. The room had gone silent. To the veterans of the Polish Friday, talking about "notes of apple" was like discussing the upholstery of a lifeboat while the Titanic was sinking. You don't drink for the taste; you drink for the temporary truce with reality.

: His classic take on the culture of substances in Poland. cezary_jurkiewicz_uzywki_w_polsce

The neon sign of the "24h Alcohol" shop flickered like a dying firefly, casting a rhythmic green glow over the sidewalk. Cezary stood there, not because he wanted to buy anything, but because the buzzing sound of the sign perfectly matched the low-grade anxiety he’d been nurturing since Tuesday. He remembered a party where someone tried to

In Poland, Cezary reflected, substances aren't just things you use; they are members of the family you didn't invite to Christmas. He watched a man approach the counter with the quiet dignity of a scholar entering a library. The man didn't ask for "vodka." He asked for "the usual medicine," as if a half-liter of clear spirit was the only thing standing between him and a total existential collapse. You don't drink for the taste; you drink