As the third leading cause of preventable death after tobacco use and air pollution, alcohol consumption is responsible for 41,000 annual deaths from cancer (mouth, esophagus, liver, colorectal, and breast), cardiovascular disease, digestive disorders, accidents, suicides, mental illness, behavioral disorders, and more. Alcohol consumption causes significant harm not only due to the severity of the morbidities associated with it, but also because of its impact in the public, private, and professional spheres: acts of violence, increased vulnerability, domestic accidents, traffic accidents—it is the leading cause of traffic accidents—and workplace accidents.
Furthermore, drinking patterns are evolving, particularly across age groups and generations, with younger people—including young women—increasingly seeking intoxication.
Finally, fetal alcohol syndrome is the leading non-genetic cause of mental disability in France.
The health impact and social harms of alcohol consumption in France remain significant and require the continuation of public health policies aimed at reducing alcohol consumption in our country.
In this context, Santé publique France’s efforts focus on monitoring alcohol consumption and preventing excessive drinking. This is part of:

• The Cancer Plan 3 (2014–2019)

• The National Mobilization Plan led by Mildeca

These plans are implemented at the regional level under the auspices of the ARS. At this level, Santé publique France is responsible, on the one hand, for providing the ARS and their regional partners with observational and evaluation data, and on the other hand, for strengthening the coordination between the national and regional levels for the deployment of intervention measures, particularly social marketing campaigns. This regional/national interaction is a key lever for reducing social and territorial inequalities.

Epidemiological Surveys

Santé publique France leads or participates in various epidemiological surveys among the general population, young people, and pregnant women. This helps, in particular, to understand alcohol consumption and its trends, the health consequences resulting from such consumption, and the methods for effective action.

Surveys on alcohol consumption

• Santé publique France Barometers

The Santé publique France Barometers are telephone surveys designed to measure the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of people residing in France regarding health. Established in the 1990s, they provide a wide range of health indicators, thereby contributing to the guidance of public policies at both the national and regional levels. More than twenty editions have been conducted to date, covering topics such as addiction, nutrition, mental health, cancer, infectious diseases, sexual health, and more. The Santé publique France Barometers enable the analysis of health behaviors according to criteria such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status. This information is key to defining the targets of social marketing initiatives. Since 1992, the Santé publique France Barometers have focused on the adult population (ages 18–75), while indicators for younger age groups are collected by the French Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT).

Learn more

• Health Barometers

  • Public Health France Health Barometer 2024: Alcohol Consumption: Exceeding Low-Risk Guidelines. Public Health France Health Barometer: Results of the 2024 Edition

• Health Barometers: Alcohol

  • Andler R, Cogordan C, Richard JB, Demiguel V, Regnault N, Guignard R, Pasquereau A, NguyenThanh V. Alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy.

  • Richard J.-B., Cogordan C., Palle C., Obradovic I. Consumption patterns and their distribution: products consumed and trends ADSP, 2015, vol. 90: pp. 10–15

  • Richard J.-B., Nguyen-Thanh V., Beck F. Focus on young people aged 18–25. Public Health News and Reports No. 90, 2015. Alcohol and Health.

  • Richard J.-B., Palle C., Guignard R., Cogordan C., Andler R., Nguyen-Thanh V., et al. Alcohol consumption in France in 2014: characteristics and recent trends. Evolutions, 2015, vol. 32: 6 p.

• The EnCLASS survey (National Survey of Adolescents in Middle and High Schools on Health and Substances), led by the OFDT, is the merger of the HSBC (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children) and ESPAD (European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs) surveys.

  • The HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children) survey is a quadrennial school-based survey focused on health and its determinants.

  • The ESPAD (European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs) survey is a quadrennial school-based survey, first conducted in 1995 with the support of the Council of Europe. Its main objective is to collect standardized and comparable data on the use of psychoactive substances among 15- to 16-year-olds in Europe. It thus provides a very good comparison of tobacco, alcohol, and drug use patterns among young Europeans aged 15 to 16.

• The ESCAPAD Survey (Survey on Health and Consumption during the Defense Readiness Call)

The Escapad survey was launched in 2000 by the French Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT) in partnership with the Directorate of National Service and Youth (DSNJ). This survey takes place during Defense and Citizenship Day (JDC) and focuses on late adolescence. It provides an overview of psychoactive substance use among 17- to 18-year-olds and, thanks to its repeated administration using the same methodology, highlights trends in these behaviors among late adolescents in mainland France and in the overseas departments and territories.

Prevention initiatives to reduce alcohol consumption

As part of efforts to reduce risks associated with alcohol consumption, Santé publique France aims to:

• promote the development of programs to prevent, delay, or limit alcohol consumption among young people

• to promote the reduction of health risks

• to provide information on the short- and long-term health risks of alcohol consumption

• develop communication and social marketing strategies to change attitudes and behaviors

• actively inform women about the risks to the fetus of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Santé publique France uses several tools to assist the public:

• the development of expert opinions: risk assessments and new guidelines

• information and awareness campaigns: the Repères campaign, the SAF campaign, posters, and brochures available in the “Tools” tab and on the website alcool-info-service.fr

Remote support: the Alcool Info Service

Santé publique France provides alcohol users and their loved ones with a remote support service: Alcool Info Service.
Users and their loved ones can contact Alcool Info Service via:

• Phone: 0 980 980 930, a toll-free number. This service operates 7 days a week, including weekends and holidays, from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.;

• Internetwww.alcool-info-service.fr, which provides access to:

  • Chats

  • Q&A

  • Automatic callback (web callback).

The website also provides the public with information, advice, a directory of specialized addiction treatment services, and support forums.

The Alcool Info Service is an anonymous and confidential service designed to serve as a bridge between users and treatment services. Its mission is to inform, guide, advise, and support.

Tools for healthcare professionals:

Santé publique France provides healthcare professionals with a dedicated section: www.pro.alcoolinfoservice.fr