In Poland, there is an increasing number of people being hospitalised due to complications of chronic use of analgesics, especially over-the-counter ones. Allergic reactions to the ingredients of these drugs and overdoses (which are usually caused by misunderstanding the content of advertisements) are also becoming more frequent.

Easy access to a wide range of painkillers and the ubiquity and insistence of advertising means that people often treat them as harmless stimulants. Statistics show that a Pole takes a painkiller on average nine times a month. In terms of the amount of over-the-counter analgesics purchased, Poland ranks second in Europe.