Health Minister Agnès Buzyn on Friday opposed the hypothesis of a return of alcohol in the stadiums, wished by members to the chagrin of addictologists.
"Fervor does not need alcohol"
"Fervor does not need alcohol to express itself in our stadiums," said Agnès Buzyn in a message on Twitter. "Alcohol kills 41,000 people every year in our country, every single one of these deaths is preventable, and do not let new incentives for alcohol use compliment this record," she said.
Alcohol kills 41,000 people every year in our country. Each of these deaths is preventable.
Do not let new incentives for alcohol consumption be complicit in this record.
Fervor does not need alcohol to express itself in our stadiums.
105 LREM deputies (one-third of the group) submitted to the Assembly at the end of July a bill "to make France a sports nation" in which they propose "to relax in a framed manner" the law Evin "in the stages by extending the granting of temporary authorizations to sell alcohol to sports companies ".
The 1991 Evin law against smoking and alcoholism prohibits the sale, distribution and introduction of alcoholic beverages in all physical activity and sports establishments. Clubs have a waiver to sell alcohol ten times a year. But they want more, wanting to be able to align with their European competitors and enjoy substantial income on match days through the sale of alcohol and advertising.
LREM MEPs reiterate their commitment to the Evin Law
"To prevent any controversy," LREM deputies repeated Friday their commitment to the Evin Law. "In any case, the bill that will ultimately be carried by the group as a whole can not be akin to a challenge to the Evin law to which the latter remains deeply attached, in his mind and in his letter," they insisted in a statement. The LREM deputies thus argue that sports companies could possibly benefit from certain derogations provided for by the Evin Law which already allows sports associations to sell alcohol ten times a year.
The initiative of these deputies made jump addictologists and the French Federation of addictology (FFA) Friday sent an open letter to Agnès Buzyn. "All the actors of addictology represented by the FFA are waiting (...) that you firmly and publicly oppose these low maneuvers which have as sole objective to gradually empty the Evin law of all the provisions that hinder the alcohol lobby, "she wrote.
According to the FFA, the other objective of the bill is "to re-authorize the sponsorship of sports activities" by companies in the alcohol sector, "in view of the Olympic Games and the Rugby World Cup" organized by France in 2024 and 2023. In recent months, LR deputies have also signed bills in the same direction.