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Sprawdzamy, czym jest narkotyk, który pustoszy USA, i czy mamy się czego bać #wyborcza https://t.co/kSCLu8AmfP — Gazeta Wyborcza.pl (@gazeta_wyborcza) June 18, 2024 health minister Izabela Leszczyna told broadcaster Polsat that she had instructed her ministry’s e-health centre to “continuously monitor the issuing and fulfilling of opioid prescriptions” Fentanyl can be legitimately prescribed as a form of pain relief for example for cancer patients or those recovering from surgery there are concerns that some doctors are issuing prescriptions for illicit use of the drug president of the Supreme Pharmaceutical Council (NIA) told Polsat that existing measures to prevent such prescriptions are clearly not working there is little that pharmacists or police can do Niebezpieczne substancje w obrocie. Ministerstwo reagujehttps://t.co/ZXslCgtuEt — PolsatNews.pl (@PolsatNewsPL) June 17, 2024 The health ministry’s new monitoring system is intended to detect anomalies in the number of opioid prescriptions being issued The information will then be passed on to the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspectorate (GIF) and law enforcement authorities will be informed Leszczyna emphasised that “this monitoring will be carried out at the level of doctors and medical entities” and that “patient data will absolutely not be transferred anywhere” and will remain confidential and secure Tomków noted that the issue is part of a wider problem with abuses of the prescription system – in particular through prescriptions obtained via online consultations – aimed at obtaining drugs for illicit use Last year, Poland’s former government introduced limits on the number of prescriptions that individual doctors can issue in an attempt to prevent such practices Poland's main medical body has urged the government to withdraw new rules limiting doctors to issuing 300 prescriptions in 10 hours The measure was intended to stop online "prescription factories" but some elderly patients have been left without medicineshttps://t.co/45uPNesEuG — Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) July 6, 2023 The United States has in recent years been blighted by the abuse of fentanyl The drug was responsible for over 74,000 deaths in the country in 2023 according to the US National Center for Health Statistics three people in the town of Żuromin in Poland died due to fentanyl overdoses a death that occurred in the city of Poznań at the end of last year was confirmed as being Poland’s first know fentanyl fatality Main image credit: Ministerstwo Zdrowia (under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 PL) Agata Pyka is an assistant editor at Notes from Poland She is a journalist and a political communication student at the University of Amsterdam She specialises in Polish and European politics as well as investigative journalism and has previously written for Euractiv and The European Correspondent , , Karol Nawrocki even suggested that the state security services were involved in creating the scandal , , The 1,200 square metre national symbol was unfurled on the beach in Międzyzdroje , , The proportion of Poles saying the US has a positive influence on the world has also fallen to its lowest recorded level Apr 30, 2025 | , , , That response will include “large Polish and NATO exercises in Poland” Apr 29, 2025 | , , , Those employed in Poland work on average the third-longest hours in the European Union Apr 28, 2025 | , , , , Westinghouse and Bechtel were first chosen in 2022 as partners on the 192 billion zloty ($51 billion) project please consider helping us to continue and expand it [email protected] Copyright © 2025 Notes From Poland | Design jurko studio | Code by 2sides.pl Senior Research Fellow at the Global Europe Centre ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Weronika Strzyżyńska is currently studying journalism at Goldsmiths as a Scott Trust Bursary recipient She  has written on issues immigration and Brexit for New Statesman and Prospect Agnieszka Wądołowska is managing editor of Notes from Poland She has previously worked for Gazeta.pl and Tokfm.pl and contributed to Gazeta Wyborcza ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland and assistant professor of history at the Pedagogical University of Krakow He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications The Independent and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Stanley Bill is the founder and editor-at-large of Notes from Poland.He is also Senior Lecturer in Polish Studies and Director of the Polish Studies Programme at the University of Cambridge Stanley has spent more than ten years living in Poland He founded Notes from Poland in 2014 as a blog dedicated to personal impressions cultural analysis and political commentary He is committed to the promotion of deeper knowledge and understanding of Poland He is the Chair of the Board of the Notes from Poland Foundation ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Professor of European Studies at Oxford University ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Professor at the Institute of History of the Jagiellonian University ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Executive Director of Taube Family Foundation ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Associate Professor at the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Science ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Photo: Koos GroenewoldPolish poultry producers rebuilt the better part of their breeding stock in less than 2 months since the end of the avian influenza (AI) epidemic the National Chamber of Poultry and Feed Producers estimated Poland lost as many as 1.8 million broiler breeders due to the AI outbreaks in 2021 director of the National Chamber of Poultry and Feed Producers “At the peak of the AI-related bird culling many analysts warned that the loss of a large portion of the breeding base would create difficulties There were even forecasts of sharp price hikes [of hatching eggs],” Gawrońska said adding that those forecasts didn’t materialise and the overall number of breeders has already climbed to 22.8 million heads EU: Poland continues to lead in turkey production Although turkey meat accounts for only 14% of total Polish poultry production, Poland has been the EU’s largest turkey meat producer since 2017. Read more… which was expected to make our hatching sector dysfunctional for many months or even years appeared to disrupt supply for only 2 months,” added Gawrońska the last AI outbreak in Poland was confirmed on 9 August at a farm in the Żuromin region Masovia and Greater Poland were the regions most severely hit by the epidemic 339 outbreaks were registered this year against only 54 in 2020 Poultry production in Poland is still rather volatile states the president of the National Poultry Council Polish poultry farmers are still barred from several important foreign markets Because of this poultry farmers sell their birds on the domestic market “The price of poultry meat has come down dramatically If we analyse why the prices of poultry can drop so quickly we come to the conclusion that this is the result of a lack of production planning,” he said Kulikowski explained that such planning is impossible because 30% of the poultry market operates without contracts with supermarket chains “This means that contractless breeders make speculative decisions producing chickens not knowing if anyone will buy them Photojournalist Selene Magnolia Gatti has been documenting the effects on human health and wellbeing of living alongside intensive agriculture Welcome to the Anthropocene: the historical period that scientists suggest may be marked by the ubiquitous presence of chicken bones and where factory farms have surged past the environmental safety thresholds established by experts About 11 billion chickens, 142 million pigs, 76 million cattle, 62 million sheep, 12 million goats, and counting: this is the population of invisible animals farmed in Europe every year that live and die on the (dis)assembly line Intensive farming is the predominant method of producing meat dairy products and eggs in Europe and elsewhere in the world It is also recognised as one of the most polluting industries worldwide in 2024 generating nearly 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions the impact of livestock farming on its immediate environment remains relatively unexplored A stream near a pig factory farm in coastal Brittany Local surfers and scientists have tested the water after experiencing symptoms and have found very high levels of E coli in the stream and seawater The meat and dairy industry in Europe has undergone a transformation over the last two decades shifting towards significantly larger and more specialised farms and accessorised with high silos and big noisy fans dominates more and more of the landscape of the countryside across the continent chronic disease and water pollution from factory farms affect neighbouring communities first often transforming local ecologies and endangering health and welfare Residents complaining about the environmental damage and health impacts caused by nearby factory farms events to raise awareness and protest banners The banner in this image reads: ‘Let us breathe In the countryside of the Po valley in northern Italy Giorgio B’s house is no longer a place of peace The air is filled with the stench of ammonia a byproduct of the factory farms that have sprung up throughout the area “I lost my wife to an infection that no antibiotic could cure and the unhealthy air around us is to blame,” he says my grandchildren no longer come to visit me I occasionally vomit and lose consciousness lives with his family between a cow factory farm and a broiler farm Giorgio has been a longtime resident in an area where there is an intensive cow farm “The air is destroying my health and my life,” says Giorgio Recently recognised as one of the most polluted area in Europe the Po valley has a high concentration of intensive livestock farms and those of many other people in the area Manure from factory farms pollutes the waterways of the Po valley proximity to factory farms has led to similar problems for local residents The often daily barrage of invasive smells and gases make activities such as gardening as they are put off by the persistent stench while some residents say they have watched trees wither away highlighting the severe contamination that they blame on the sprawling factory farms next door The main street at the entrance to the town Merchora Martinez lives only 39 metres from a large pig farm Martinez has had severe asthma-like symptoms and headaches that worsen when the smell from the facility is particularly strong and cries as she talks about living alongside the farm sheds next door Inside a fattening pig factory farm in the area Beyond the reduced quality of life and associated stress there are tangible links to physical responses residents frequently experience respiratory difficulties persistent coughing and sometimes burning eyes Research suggests flu-like symptoms are among the initial reactions to exposure to hydrogen sulphide and ammonia who lives near a pig farm beyond his backyard that he says is affecting his health and quality of life ammonia and volatile organic compounds are some of the things factory farms release into their surroundings that can make people sick in both the short and long term ammonia turns into the fine particulate matter known as PM2.5 which can be particularly dangerous as its small size allows it to penetrate deeply into the lungs and bloodstream PM 2.5 is listed as a group 1 carcinogenic substance that has been linked to an estimated 253,000 deaths a year in Europe Exposure to PM 2.5 is linked to heart and lung conditions Growing evidence has pointed to higher cancer rates in regions where there is a lot of intensive animal farming Ans van Maris has developed asthma since the farms around her home have expanded in the last 15 years “I developed asthma after living here for 10 years,” says Ans van Maris one of the regions with the highest density of industrial farms in the Netherlands So I stay indoors a lot.” When the air quality gets worse she has to increase the dose of her medication I feel like I can breathe again.” Inhaling toxic substances from intensive livestock farms is linked to the development or worsening of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD Egg-laying hens inside a cage at an intensive egg farm abuse: these are the conditions for animals living on intensive farms Chickens typically have a smaller area than a sheet of A4 paper to move around in while breeding sows are segregated inside crates that do not allow them to turn around The conditions necessary for these intensive production methods to be effective are clear: overpopulations of animals crammed into confined spaces These conditions not only make the lives of animals in industrial farming horrendous but increase the risk of dangerous pathogens developing at a time of increasingly frequent novel epidemics and pandemics These farms have been linked to outbreaks of influenza strains such as H1N1 swine flu and H5N1 avian flu and diseases such as African swine fever and Q fever they contribute to the emergence of food-borne pathogens including salmonella and E coli and the spread of livestock-associated antibiotic-resistant bacteria research has linked these regions to a higher incidence and severity of Covid-19 A portrait of three generations of a family affected by the Netherlands’ Q fever epidemic The first family member to develop the chronic disease was the father who was working in an industrial goat farm two daughters and their 13-year-old granddaughter who was infected during her mother’s pregnancy the Netherlands experienced a large outbreak of Q fever an infectious disease caused by the Coxiella burnetii bacterium from farmed goats mainly in areas with a high density of such farms Jan lives a few metres away from a big pig factory farm He is still struggling with the long-term impact of having Q fever just a kilometre from the goat farm where the Q fever outbreak is suspected to have started “I am always tired and in pain,” says Van Sambeek who has chronic fatigue syndrome resulting from Q fever “Long Q fever” is also a big risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and has had to undergo complicated heart surgery Some people in his condition resort to euthanasia 60% of the population show autoimmune responses to Coxiella burnetii with excessive manure use elevating nitrate content to dangerous levels: 80% of it comes from manure This pollution does not just pose severe health risks – such as an increased chance of cancer from carcinogenic compounds formed as result of nitrates ending up in drinking water Residents have complained about bad smells This woman lives close to an intensive pig farm in Tingerup Every time the wind carries the smell in the direction of the house she closes all window and avoids going outside Photo: Selene Magnolia Gatti/Greenpeace/Wildlight A recent study from Denmark indicates a correlation between nitrate levels of more than 4 milligrams a litre in drinking water and an increased risk of colon and rectal cancer An EU limit of 50mg a litre was set in the 1980s “There are more and more studies suggesting that the threshold might not be low enough for long exposure,” says Villanueva An animal transport lorry in a village in the largely agricultural Murcia region nitrate contamination from agricultural and livestock sources has left more than 200,000 people without drinking water Cristina de la Vega’s tap water often has nitrate levels of 140mg a litre “I stopped drinking water from my home in 2017 Every time I go shopping I need to remember to buy the big bulky bottles of water,” she says De la Vega lives in one of the many areas in Spain that have been declared vulnerable to nitrate pollution; the water cannot be used for drinking or cooking 37% of groundwater in Spain is already affected by nitrate contamination and citizens and city halls are finding alternative ways of getting water to homes Many people across Europe who live near factory farms do not want to leave their homes and want to fight for a better future and their land as they are unable to sell a property next to an industrial animal farm with a very high density of intensive ‘macro’ farms Some areas are referred as ‘chicken towns’ as some farms have as many as 16 barns each local children played and swam in its waters A woman holds a photo of her and her best friend playing in a pond near their homes when they were younger; and the chest X-ray of a woman living near some of Poland’s largest chicken farms property values have plummeted by as much as 80% leaving residents feeling trapped and desperate as Europe’s largest producer and exporter of poultry meat produces more than 1.5 billion chickens annually which dates back to the middle ages but is now known as “chicken city” produces at least 80 million chickens a year This dense concentration of poultry farms has resulted in severe problems such as foul odours health problems and significantly reduced property values for nearby residents monitors the area around a pig factory farm near her home at night Białochławek giving her four-year-old son asthma medication “I have nightmares in which I can’t breathe I wake up in terror with my hands at my burning throat Białochławek spent her pregnancy documenting the environmental impact of the pig farm it is the intensive farm that is responsible for their problems Children play outdoors with their faces covered the smell is so corrosive in the throat and nose that the teachers at the local school located only 500 metres from an egg-laying hen farm prefer to keep students indoors during break Photograph: Selene Magnolia Gatti/Greenpeace/Wildlight As communities across Europe grapple with the impacts of intensive livestock farming anger and a profound sense of abandonment permeate their lives people need to find a spirit of resilience This fight against an unsustainable system is not just about survival – it’s about envisioning a future where the land free from the shadow of industrial farming This work was funded by a grant from the Environmental Journalismfund Europe and supported by WeAnimals Media We focus on the even and equitable development of all regions of Poland We want residents of municipalities and counties to have the same opportunities as those living in large cities such as the construction of kindergartens and nurseries and the renovation of schools We also provide modern equipment for hospitals and build libraries We contribute funds to the budgets of municipalities counties and towns across the country for investments that are close to the people Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki visited towns in the Mazowieckie and Łódzkie Provinces to listen to the advice and demands of residents of municipalities and counties - they are the ones who pave the way for us to move forward We help municipalities and counties to level the standard of living in our country “We want Poland to develop even more fairly and evenly To make it even more of a place to live for all those who want to work and study here as well as start families and raise their children,” Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stressed we are consistently investing in local Poland and improving the development opportunities of its people.  In this way “Poles need to live in the place where they were born and where they work They don't want to go to a large city or abroad,” the prime minister noted which we are trying to make in every corner of Poland,” he explained Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki met today with residents of Rawa Mazowiecka in the Mazowieckie and Łódzkie Provinces we are helping to realize the dreams of Poles by providing funds for local investments as well as modern roads and pedestrian crossings equipment for hospitals or water and sewage infrastructure That's a lot of investment that each of us notices in our own neighborhood The hospital provides skilled medical care to patients in the Rawa county The facility recently completed modernization of the operating theater and the anesthesiology and intensive care units We have supported it with PLN 9 million from the Government Local Investment Fund.  Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki also decided that an ultra-modern 80-slice CT scanner will be given to the hospital from the resources of the Government Strategic Reserve Agency The Strzelce municipality has received government funding of PLN 800,000 for the construction of a rural community center in Zaranna there had been no place in the village adapted to the needs of the local community where residents would have the opportunity to integrate and organize various meetings The construction of the building will create conditions for stimulating the activity and integration of residents establishing cooperation and developing local groups The investment will increase the number of places available for children - the kindergarten will be able to accommodate about 400 of them We have supported the investment with nearly PLN 10 million A cultural and educational complex with a nursery kindergarten and a municipality public library is being built in the Staroźreby municipality The investment was subsidized with PLN 8.5 million from the Government Strategic Investment Program The cultural and educational complex will house a kindergarten for 200 children a nursery for 40 children and a modern library with a reading room. The building will be equipped with a kitchen Thermal efficiency improvement of the following 3 schools in the Żuromin county has been carried out: the Batalionów Chłopskich School Complex in Zielona the John Paul II Technical and Vocational School Complex in Żuromin and the Maria Dąbrowska High School in Żuromin optimal air temperature will be maintained in the school building The effect of thermal efficiency improvement will be a reduction in energy consumption and in the cost of using the building but also a reduction in the adverse impact on the environment