More than one in five French adults (22%) exceed the recommended alcohol consumption limits in mainland France, but this proportion is declining, according to figures published Tuesday by Public Health France and relating to 2021.
“Between 2020 and 2021, in mainland France, the proportion of adults reporting alcohol consumption above lower-risk drinking benchmarks decreased significantly, from 23.7% to 22.0%,” the agency noted. of health in its weekly epidemiological bulletin.
The study is based on data from the 2021 French Public Health Barometer (SPF) survey.
A drop deemed “encouraging”
To limit the impact on health of alcohol consumption, since 2017, the lower risk consumption parameters (maximum 10 drinks per week, maximum two drinks per day and days per week without consumption) are the subject of information campaigns.
Given that the proportion of French people exceeding these benchmarks did not decrease between 2017 and 2020, SPF considers the overall drop in 2021 to be “encouraging”.
Especially since “the context of the health and social crisis linked to Covid-19 continued in 2021” and “could herald an upward trend in alcohol consumption.” The decrease was observed mainly among men, but also among the youngest, the oldest and the most advantaged (in terms of diplomas and income).
The pandemic “could have reduced the festive occasions” of the youngest and pushed the elderly to “limit the moments of conviviality conducive to consumption to prevent possible contamination by Covid-19”, according to the hypotheses of Public Health France.
many risks
France, still one of the most alcohol-loving countries in the world, has 42.8 million consumers. “It is still necessary to continue informing about the risks of alcohol consumption, even in low doses,” according to SPF.
Alcohol consumption is directly or indirectly responsible for more than sixty diseases (cancer, cardiovascular, digestive, mental diseases, etc.). It is the first cause of hospitalization and the second cause of preventable mortality in France (after tobacco).
Inserm experts call again to “limit access and reduce its attractiveness” through a series of actions (restoration of the Evin law in its initial version, then reinforcement, prevention, early detection, etc.).
Source: BFM TV
