Harsh winter weather has killed 129 people across Poland, including members of the country's burgeoning homeless population.
Mr Marcin Szyndler, national police spokesman, said most victims were men about 40, whose bodies were found between a place they drunk alcohol and the place they lived.
"About one in four of the victims were homeless," he said.
Experts blame the rise in unemployment since the end of communism in 1989 for the increasing number of homeless Poles. That, in turn, has made it more difficult to fight the long-standing problem of alcohol abuse.
"Every day, police pick up about 200 people lying drunk in the streets or at bus stops and detain them until they sober up," Mr Szyndler said.
This winter has already seen snow and nighttime temperatures of as low as minus 25 degrees Celsius (minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of the country. Freezing conditions have also hit countries including Spain, France and Switzerland.
Last winter, which was considered mild, Polish police reported 112 cold-related deaths.
PA