Definition: Total abstinence?

Wine: do health authorities want total abstinence?

Audrey Bourolleau, General Delegate of Vin et Société, responds to attacks on her new campaign on wine consumption guidelines and fears a radical change in the discourse of health authorities.
Date of publication: 09/12/2015

Audrey Bourolleau, General Delegate of Vin et Société, is "dismayed" by the criticism from health authorities.

Since the launch a few days ago of its new campaign aimed at providing the public with guidelines on wine consumption, Vin et Société, which represents the wine industry, has come under attack from health authorities. According to the Haute Autorité de Santé (French National Authority for Health), this campaign "misuses a medical tool designed to combat the dangers of alcohol". And according to the president of the National Nutrition and Health Programme, "the PNNS is much more restrictive than the guidelines cited". However, Vin et Société claims to have used the consumption guidelines... of the PNNS currently in force!

RVF: What do you think of this fierce criticism of your campaign?

Audrey Bourolleau: We are appalled! The consumption guidelines we use appear on several official websites: Alcool Info Services, INPES, Assurance Maladie (see p.3), mangerbouger.fr (Ministry of Health). The most striking thing is that since we used these figures ("2.3.4.0"), their presentation has changed on the Alcool Info Service website. Here is the version before the change and here is the modified version, which specifies that these guidelines are to be used "in medical practice". This means that as soon as the wine industry publishes these guidelines, they become obsolete!

RVF: "Obsolete" is precisely the word used on Europe 1 by the president of the National Nutrition and Health Plan, Serge Herbercg, to describe the figures in your campaign.

Audrey Bourolleau: We invite him to consult his own website, as these guidelines are included in the 2011-2015 National Nutrition and Health Plan (see p.57), which is currently in force. RVF: The High Authority for Health states that these figures are intended for health professionals only. Audrey Bourolleau: In that case, why publish them on websites aimed at the general public, such as Alcool Info Services or mangerbouger.fr?

RVF: Is it possible for you to engage in dialogue with the health authorities?

Audrey Bourolleau: We have been asking the Department of Health for three years to work with us on responsible consumption. We have never received a response! We wanted them to help us provide a joint response to the 9 out of 10 French people who are unaware of consumption guidelines and do not know how to define moderation. The health authorities are asking the wine industry to commit to responsibility, and when we do so, they tell us that we are not legitimate.

La RVF: What do you plan to do?

Audrey Bourolleau: We are waiting to see what will be officially announced. Because the stakes are very high. The authorities now seem to be saying that there is no such thing as risk-free consumption. This would represent a radical change in discourse: we would be moving from tolerance for reasonable consumption to a policy of total abstinence! Source and highly recommended website: The editorial team at La Revue du Vin de Francehttp://www.larvf.com/

"Loving wine also means having a grain of reason": the campaign that is causing debate

By Rosalie Lafarge, France Bleu Provence and France Bleu - Wednesday 9 December 2015

A wine advertising campaign sparks debate - Vin et Société

Vin et Société is launching its first national public information campaign on the consumption guidelines "2.3.4.0* defined by the health authorities. A campaign and slogans that are causing controversy.

"Loving wine also means having a grain of reason," "I love wine, I respect it."

These are the slogans accompanying the posters for the advertising campaign launched by the Vin et Société association. The campaign is intended to provide French people with "drinking guidelines" for wine, known as "2.3.4.0". This means a maximum of two glasses per day for women, three for men, a maximum of four glasses on a single occasion, and finally zero glasses one day per week.

The Haute Autorité de Santé (French National Authority for Health) has condemned "an advertising campaign that misuses a medical tool designed to combat the dangers of alcohol". "We are using official sources, we have nothing to reproach ourselves for," retorts the general delegate of the association, which brings together wine producers and merchants.

Furthermore, the National Association for the Prevention of Alcoholism and Addiction (Anpaa), which has brought numerous lawsuits against alcohol advertising, described the campaign on Wednesday as "the first slap in the face for all health advocates", while Parliament voted at the end of November to relax the Evin law regulating the promotion of alcoholic beverages. However, its president, Dr Alain Rigaud, told AFP that the ANPAA "does not intend to file a complaint because there is nothing illegal about it under the Evin law".