Key Points

2017 Consumption Data:

● Among adults aged 18–75, nearly 9 in 10 (87%) reported having consumed alcohol at least once in the past year: 45% drank less than once a week, 32% at least once a week, and 10% daily.
● Daily alcohol consumption had fallen sharply since 2000 (when it stood at 20%). Daily alcohol consumption was more common among adults over 60 and among those with less than a high school diploma.
● Alcohol consumption was higher among men, who were three times more likely to drink daily (15% vs. 5% among women) and nearly twice as likely to drink at least once a week (41% vs. 24%).
● The frequency of monthly heavy drinking episodes had increased over the past decade, especially among women (from 4% in 2005 to 9% in 2017), although it remained significantly lower than that of men (26% in 2017). Binge drinking primarily affected adults under 45, particularly those under 30.
● Alcohol consumption among adults in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region was comparable to the averages of other metropolitan regions, whereas among 17-year-olds it was significantly higher regardless of consumption patterns (experimental use: 87% vs. 86%; regular alcohol use: 9.6% vs. 8.4%; repeated API: 18% vs. 16%).

Health impact indicators:

● Nearly 20,000 emergency room visits were directly related to alcohol in 2017, representing just over 1% of all visits. The majority of these were cases of acute alcohol intoxication. Visit rates were higher among men and in the 46–60 age group.
● Alcohol-related cancers (lip, mouth, and pharynx; esophagus; and larynx) and mortality from the main alcohol-related diseases: men were affected much more than women. Regional rates were almost always lower than the averages for metropolitan France. Departmental rates varied from one department to another within the region; overall, the departments of the former Auvergne region were more affected.