Many Poles are gearing for a sobriety campaign, coinciding with Poland’s independence centennial, as the Catholic Church enters its month of abstinence from alcohol.

The Church has urged Poles to take part in the “100 days of sobriety for 100 years of independence” campaign, officially starting on August 4.

According to Bishop Tadeusz Bronakowski, Poles drink too much alcohol, too often.

Poles drink on average ten litres of alcohol a year, compared to just a few litres a hundred years ago, Bronakowski said.

Bronakowski added that the World Health Organisation (WHO) also recommends one alcohol retailer per 1,000 people, adding that the rate is four times that in Poland.

According to the WHO, Poles were the 14th heaviest drinkers in the world in 2010, consuming an average of 12.5 litres of alcohol per year each. Belarussians topped the ranking, consuming 17.6 litres of alcohol each every year.

Meanwhile, a Polish government body tackling alcoholism says that 800,000 Poles are addicted to alcohol, while three million binge-drink regularly.

The Polish Church has long considered August, which sees many pilgrimages and important Catholic feast days, a month of sobriety.

Poland regained independence on November 11, 1918, the day World War I ended, after 123 years of partition by Russia, Austria and Prussia.

(vb/pk)