## 2 Literature Review
National alcohol policies in the European Union are constantly changing [45]. Guidelines on alcohol policy and alcohol consumption are being developed in individual countries. Guidelines are usually developed by governments, e.g., the Ministry of Health, other Ministries, or government agencies that are responsible for alcohol policy. Information on alcohol consumption is based on the results of biomedical research and the relationship between the dose of alcohol consumed and the individual response of the body. Guidelines referring to alcohol consumption are presented in two forms: as grams of ethyl alcohol, or as the amount of \"standard\" drinks consumed during a day. For the quantity of \"standard\" drinks, the number of grams of ethyl alcohol per unit volume is determined, which enables an easy conversion to the level of pure alcohol. For example, the Portuguese National Food and Nutrition Council provides in its recommendations on \"standard\" units on the basis of wine consumption, while the Romanian Ministry of Health distinguishes in its guidelines the level of alcohol consumed in beer and wine. In turn, the guidelines of the Australian Council on Health and Medical Research on alcohol provide patterns of alcohol consumption, which are associated with long-term (chronic), as well as short-term (acute) harm to people consuming alcohol. These guidelines determine the appropriate level of the risk of health and social problems, including injury and death [46]. In turn, in Poland, a \"standard\" dose of alcohol is equal to 10 g or 12.5 mL of pure ethyl alcohol. This dose, calculated for the most commonly consumed types of alcoholic beverages, is equal to 200 g of 4.5% beer, 100 g of 10.0% wine, and 25 g of 40.0% vodka. When considering that alcoholic beverages are usually sold in volume measures, alcohol values in typical commercial units amount to 22.5 mL/18 g of alcohol for 500 mL of 4.5% beer (a \"large beer\"), 21 mL/16.8 g alcohol for 175 mL of 10.0% wine (a glass), and 20 mL/16 g of alcohol for 50 mL of 40.0% vodka. A low health risk for men is considered to be the consumption of up to four standard doses of alcohol per day (125 mL of vodka or 0.4 L of wine or two \"large beers\"), no more than five times a week. It is considered risky to drink more than six standard portions of alcohol per day [47; 48]. According to the International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP) 14 Report called \"International recommendations on alcohol consumption\" [49], and in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), it is suggested, in Poland, to consume alcohol in an amount not exceeding two units per day (i.e., 20 g), a maximum of five times a week (no more than 100 g per week), with at least two days per week being without alcohol. According to the report, the smallest recommended amount of consumed alcohol, existing in Japan, is equal to one daily unit--19.75 g according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Affairs. In contrast, the highest permitted amount of consumed alcohol occurs in France (up to five daily units, i.e., 60 g according to their National Medical Academy) and Spain (up to 70 g/day according to their Department of Health and Social Policy). The particular goal of the study was to determine patterns of alcohol consumption among construction workers in Poland. In this study concerning alcohol consumption patterns, attention was paid to two important aspects that are related to the consumption of alcohol by employees: alcohol consumption in the workplace, i.e., during working hours or immediately before or after work, and also alcohol consumption after normal working hours. Although a relatively small number of people consume alcohol immediately before or during working hours, a significant proportion of employees consume alcohol in their free time after business hours [46]. Defining patterns is essential for the appropriate implementation of effective public health measures regarding prevention [50].