Doctors lament lack of state support for 'Dry January' in France

The "Dry January" initiative encourages people to refrain from drinking alcohol for a month to raise awareness about its impact on health. While backed by some sixty organisations, specialists have criticised the government for not openly supporting the campaign.

In 2024, France is kicking off its fifth year of the "Dry january" challenge, encouraging people to cut alcohol consumption for a month to raise awareness of health issues related to drinking. (illustration) ASSOCIATED PRESS - LEA SUZUKI

Launched in France five years ago, modelled on similar operations in the Britain and Scandinavia, "Dry January" consists of not drinking alcohol for the whole 31 days of the month. 

Promoters of the initiative maintain it's a good time to take a break after the festive season – which is often marked by heavy drinking – but the aim is not just to rest one's body, it's also to experience alcohol-free living.

The campaign is increasingly proving its worth in terms of public health and attracted 16,000 participants during the 2023 edition.

Instead of focusing on the risks posed by a particular substance – in this case alcohol – the emphasis is on the benefits of slowing down.

Participants are also stimulated by a challenge that brings many people together at the same time.

Bonne année 2024 ! Qu'allez-vous faire de nouveau cette année ? Et si vous tentiez le défi du Dry January ? Il est encore temps de vous inscrire sur https://t.co/Bxihi74Cuy ! pic.twitter.com/HllaCcvNrA

— Dry January | Le défi de janvier (@DryJanuaryFR) January 1, 2024

Alcohol lobby

An alcohol-free January is based on the same principle as Smoke-Free Month, organised in November.

However unlike giving up the cigarettes for 30 days, "Dry January" is not officially supported by the State, a situation lamented every year by health specialists.

The organisers include associations such as the Ligue contre le cancer, local authorities in Paris and Lyon, doctors' organisations and insurance companies – but not the French public health agency.

Santé Publique France had considered joining in 2020 but decided against it, a decision seen by many experts as a renunciation in the face of the alcohol lobby, especially as President Emmanuel Macron is regularly accused of being complacent with the wine industry.

Two advertsing campaigns intended to be broadcast on media during the World Cup rugby competition in September were cancelled by the Ministry of Health due to pressure from the wine industry, according to an investigation lead by Radio France.

❓Le gouvernement doit-il promouvoir le "dry January" ?

🗣️Le ministre de la Santé Aurélien Rousseau "invite les Français à consommer de l'alcool avec modération, et ce même avant janvier."

📺#franceinfo #canal27 pic.twitter.com/YeLWFUeK8s

— franceinfo (@franceinfo) December 15, 2023

Open letter

In December, some 48 addictologists wrote an open letter to then Minister for Health, Aurélien Rousseau, that was published by Le Parisien Daily, stating: "Confidence in the government to pursue a coherent and resolute policy has been seriously undermined".

Rousseau, who has since resigned over a disagreement with Macron's new immigration law, subsequently gave assurances that he would personally take part in "Dry January", but expressed scepticism about the State telling people "how to live for a month".

Professor Nicolas Franchitto, head of the addictology department at Toulouse University Hospital, was one of the signatories to the letter. He told the France 3 media outlet that doctors are asking the authorities for proof of their commitment.

"Addictologists like to promote Dry January, so that the French – who generally make good resolutions after the festive season – can take a good look at themselves and take care of themselves, by saying: 'Hey, what if I assessed my alcohol consumption over the month of January? And will I be able to reduce my alcohol consumption?'

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"It's not for people who are ill with alcohol, it's for French people like you and me. Do these habits get in the way of your daily life? Do you feel that you consume a lot of alcohol? And if we give you this challenge, will you find it easy to do without these habits, this ritual, this way of drinking? To date, and to my knowledge, we've had no response from the government," Franchitto says.

Alcohol consumption is directly or indirectly responsible for more than sixty diseases – cancers, cardiovascular, digestive and mental diseases.

It is also the leading cause of hospitalisation and the second leading cause of avoidable death in France – after tobacco – with around 45,000 deaths a year.