Risk reduction at the heart of Santé publique France’s strategy

Contrary to popular belief, the health risks of alcohol consumption begin with the very first daily drink. Alcohol consumption is responsible for numerous diseases (cerebral hemorrhage, cancers, hypertension, etc.) and is currently one of the leading causes of preventable mortality, with 41,000 attributable deaths1 per year.Santé publique France and the National Cancer Institute have conducted scientific research that has established new guidelines for lower-risk alcohol consumption.

The new guidelines for alcohol consumption

• a maximum of 10 drinks per week,

• a maximum of 2 drinks per day,

• days a week without drinking.

In summary: "For your health, limit alcohol to a maximum of 2 drinks per day, and not every day."

"Our goal is to empower French people to make informed choices about drinking that pose the least risk to their health. Without denying the 'pleasure' that can be associated with drinking, this requires raising awareness of the risks associated with alcohol, disseminating the new drinking guidelines to everyone, and encouraging French people to reflect on their drinking habits," emphasizes François Bourdillon, Director General.

24% of French people exceed alcohol consumption guidelines

The results of the 2017 Santé publique France Barometer2, published in today’s BEH special issue on alcohol, show that:

• Nearly a quarter of French people aged 18 to 75 exceed at least one of the three guidelines,

• men are more likely to exceed these limits (33%) than women (14%)

• younger people drink more heavily than older people, whose drinking is more regular.

A new campaign on alcohol-related risks and the new guidelines

The new Santé publique France campaign focuses on the lesser-known risks (cerebral hemorrhage, cancer, hypertension, etc.) associated with alcohol consumption, and guidelines for lower-risk drinking.

In the TV spot, "no car accidents," "no one wakes up next to a shady stranger," but the voiceover clarifies that "it doesn’t have to come to that for alcohol to wreak havoc: "More than two drinks a day increases your risk of stroke, cancer, and high blood pressure." The ad ends with the campaign slogan: "For your health, limit alcohol to two drinks a day. And not every day."

The ad will air from March 26 to April 14 on national and overseas channels, on online video platforms, and on social media. The campaign is complemented by radio segments, advertorials, a digital campaign, and the screening of videos in hospital and health center waiting rooms.

A tool to assess your consumption and the associated risks

Santé publique France has developed a new alcohol meter that allows users to assess their weekly alcohol consumption against the new guidelines and estimate the risks associated with that consumption by answering a few questions. It is available on the homepage of the website www.alcool-info-service.fr, which also offers information, discussion forums, and remote support services.

For more information:

www.alcoometre.fr

www.alcool-info-service.fr