France: alcohol consumption falls, but remains high

In France, alcohol consumption has been declining for several decades, and the trend has been confirmed in recent years;

This is what emerges from a study carried out by the Public Health France agency.

But the level of consumption remains very high, points out the agency.

The country remains one of the European countries where people drink the most alcohol.

Celebration of Beaujolais Nouveau in the streets of Lyon, November 15, 2023. The French have been drinking less and less alcohol since the 1960s.

AFP - OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE

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The French have been drinking less and less alcohol since the 1960s.

This trend is mainly driven by the decline in wine consumption over generations, and this is the result, recall the authors of

the Public Health France study 

, of cultural developments and the implementation of public policies. , with in particular - since the beginning of the 90s - the strong limitation of alcohol advertising (Évin law of 1991).

Occasional alcoholism

Thus, in 1992, a quarter of adults drank every day;

in 2021, they were only 8%.

In terms of weekly consumption, in 2000, 60% of adults drank every week, in 2021, there were 40%.

On the other hand, this is not the same trend for what we call occasional heavy drinking (“binge drinking”), the fact of drinking six or more drinks on one occasion.

The proportion of men having had this type of episode during the year has been stable since 2005, but among women it has increased.

Aggressive marketing

Overall, women continue to drink less than men, but their behavior is similar to their male counterparts.

The study particularly points to the aggressive marketing of the alcohol industry aimed at the female public.

The authors also highlight the slow evolution of perceptions about the dangers of alcohol: only one in ten adults know that occasional consumption presents a health risk.

Alcohol consumption is responsible for around 41,000 deaths per year and is one of the leading risk factors for premature death, recalls the health agency, but France "does not

 have a national control plan

 " .

(

With AFP

)

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