"Dry January", an initiative to encourage people to stop drinking during the month after the holidays, has had trouble picking up steam in France, where winemakers hold political and economic clout. RFI spoke to Mickaël Naassila, initiator of the French version of "Dry January" – Defi de Janvier – and the director of the Alcohol Research Group at the University of Picardie and Inserm, about how attitudes towards alcohol are evolving in France.
RFI: Is France emerging from a kind of collective denial around alcohol?
Mickaël Naassila: Yes, although it is not only denial. There is also a lack of knowledge. But something is happening. We are seeing more talk around not drinking and more and more people, particularly young people, are experimenting with not drinking.
We are much better informed today about the risks, and the message that any alcohol consumption carries a health risk is really starting to get through. We now hear young people saying ‘alcohol is not good for your health, you have to be careful’, which you did not hear as much before.
RFI: Is this cultural shift?
MN: Yes, clearly. The belief that alcohol is somehow ‘protective’ is receding. Even if refusing a drink can sometimes still be difficult, people are speaking out, including patients and public figures. There is a real awareness, and per capita consumption of pure alcohol is falling.
This is a trend that can be seen across Europe, but alcohol remains a special case in France. There is no "alcohol plan", unlike for tobacco. And despite an overall decline, certain risky behaviours persist, such as binge drinking, particularly among women.
Binge drinking still a worry in France despite drop in daily consumption
RFI: Culturally, attitudes are changing. But how do you explain the different treatment of tobacco and alcohol, given that the harms of alcohol are well documented?
MN: Above all, it’s a political blockage. The President [Emmanuel Macron] has publicly said that he does not want to ‘annoy the French’ about their alcohol consumption, that the [alcohol and tobacco policy] Évin law should not be tightened, and that he sees no problem with drinking wine as long as you do not drive.
The message is clear, and we felt it very concretely, when the January Challenge was launched in 2020 there was a direct blockage from the presidency, and other campaigns were subsequently slowed down.
Political figures, such as the Minister for tourism, openly take on a lobbying role. This has fuelled a caricatured opposition between ‘health puritans’ and ‘Epicureans’, even though the issue is not prohibition but enabling normal prevention.
Even when alcohol is discussed with health authorities, there is a sense that consumption in general should not be targeted, only excess or dependency. But this hinders prevention, to prevent people from sliding into risky consumption in the first place.
Nevertheless, our work is starting to pay off. The January campaign works, and opponents are running out of arguments against it.
Dilemma for French winemakers as alcohol content rises while consumption falls
RFI: Do you feel like public opinion is changing?
MN: Yes, something is happening. We see more discussion around not drinking, growing demand for alternatives, and young people partying differently. Since 2020, the January Challenge has played an important role: it prompts reflection and allows positive communication about what people gain by reducing their consumption.
The January Challenge helps people develop strategies to avoid drinking, feel more competent and more confident in refusing alcohol.
RFI: Is the association between alcohol, sociability and being ‘cool’ also starting to fade?
MN: As with tobacco, which has become unfashionable, I think we will get there with alcohol, too. People are more aware of the negative impact, that when you have drunk too much, you don’t really enjoy the evening, you can lose control or experience memory loss.
What has changed a lot, particularly among young women, is lower tolerance for this loss of control. Socially, drunkenness is less accepted, and more and more young people say they are fed up with having to deal with friends who have drunk too much.
We also hear more people saying: ‘I don’t drink and I still have fun’. People are speaking out.
We are also seeing new strategies emerge: planning ahead, setting limits, slowing down, alternating with water. These behaviours need to be promoted, because prevention also involves developing psychosocial skills, such as knowing how to say no or analyse a situation.
This article has been adapted from an interview in French by RFI's Aurore Lartigue and edited for length and clarity.
