Poland launches police anti-drug campaign

With a clear warning, a new nationwide prevention initiative against drugs and so-called “dopalacze” is starting in Poland—new psychoactive substances that are often sold as seemingly harmless alternatives but can in reality cause severe health consequences up to and including death. Under the slogan “Szkoda Ciebie na takie patoklimaty,” the campaign is aimed primarily at young people and their environment: those who face risky trends at school, in their circle of friends, or online, and everyone who can recognize warning signs early and trigger help.

A campaign focused on prevention

The focus is not on a single spectacular raid, but on long-term reduction of drug-related risks through education and protective measures. The campaign is being rolled out nationwide across all police units and is designed as an educational and preventive program. It aims to convey knowledge, dispel myths, and lower the threshold for seeking support—before experimentation turns into habits or life-threatening situations arise.

The message is deliberately direct: drugs and new psychoactive substances can trigger severe poisoning, lasting damage, and acute emergencies within a short time. Especially with synthetic mixtures or products circulating through online trade, dosage, composition, and purity are unpredictable. People who consume often do not know which substances are actually contained. In addition, risky combinations with alcohol or medications can significantly increase the dangers.

Why “dopalacze” are considered particularly dangerous

New psychoactive substances are often marketed in ways that suggest legal appearance, supposed quality, or a “modern” effect. In reality, they are substance groups that change quickly to evade controls. Even small deviations in composition can massively amplify the effect. This leads to situations in which consumers enter medical crises within minutes: unconsciousness, seizures, cardiac arrhythmias, panic states, or severe breathing problems are just some of the possible consequences.

The campaign therefore makes it clear that “legal” does not mean “harmless,” and that the line between supposed experimentation and acute life risk is especially thin with these substances. At the same time, it is meant to convey that rapid help can save lives: calling emergency services or arranging first aid in an emergency is the right action—even if the situation feels embarrassing or there is fear of consequences.

The role of the police: educate, protect, reduce risks

Poland’s police are using the campaign to emphasize prevention as an integral part of public safety. This includes not only action against trafficking and distribution, but also early outreach to target groups who are often the first to encounter drug offers, peer pressure, or online “challenges.” Prevention work is intended to start where decisions are made: in schools, youth centers, families, sports and cultural clubs, and in the digital space.

Another focus is raising awareness of “patoklimaty”—problematic milieus and dynamics that foster violence, addiction, exploitation, or crime. The campaign thus draws a direct link between drug use, social environment, and security risks. It points out that drug-related crime rarely occurs in isolation, but is often connected to other offenses, dangers, and dependency structures.

Classification within a national security program

The initiative is organized by the Ministry of the Interior (MSWiA) within the “Razem Bezpieczniej” program—a strategy aimed at reducing crime and antisocial behavior through coordinated measures. The drug-prevention campaign therefore fits into a broader approach: prevention, cooperation, and early intervention are intended to reduce the number of serious incidents and strengthen the resilience of communities.

The nationwide scope signals that drug prevention is not treated as a marginal topic. Instead, it is viewed as a societal task in which government bodies, educational institutions, and local actors must work together. The campaign therefore relies on a recognizable message, clear information about risks, and visible accessibility—especially for young people who find themselves in uncertain situations or have already had initial experiences with substances.

What the campaign is intended to achieve in practice

• Educate: communicate risks of drugs and new psychoactive substances in an understandable way.
• Warn: debunk myths about “safe” or “legal” products and protect against unpredictable mixtures.
• Strengthen early detection: better recognize signs of problematic developments in one’s surroundings.
• Facilitate help: make paths to support, counseling, and medical assistance visible.
• Reduce milieu risks: raise awareness of dynamics that promote drug crime and exploitation.

Between information and responsibility

The “Narkotyki i dopalacze zabijają” campaign relies on a sober but emphatic core message: the risk is real, and it can affect anyone. At the same time, prevention is presented as a shared responsibility—not as moralizing. By anchoring the initiative nationwide within police structures, it is intended to create continuity: repeated outreach, clear orientation, and stronger awareness of how quickly consumption, peer pressure, and dangerous substances can escalate.

The result is less about the single incident and more about long-term impact: people should be informed, recognize risks early, and organize help faster in critical moments. This emphasizes an approach that combats drug-related crime not only through control, but also through prevention and protection of those potentially affected.