ALL THE WARNING SIGNS ARE RED

1.         A scientific article published in 1996 in The Lancet (one of the most prestigious scientific journals) concluded:  » the results underline the need to review alcohol control policies and health programs, and to consider recommendations in favor of abstention », subsequently corrected   « our results show that the safest level of alcohol consumption is to not consume alcohol. This level conflicts with most health guidelines, which advocate the health benefits associated with drinking up to two units per day. In 2022 another article, also published in The Lancet, moderated the first article by indicating that it could have a certain benefit for certain populations, but that others were at risk.

2.         According to a survey carried out by the market research company CGA (owned by Nielsen) in 2023, 52% of French people planned to significantly or slightly reduce their alcohol consumption when going out over the next twelve months. 16% of the 5,000 people surveyed had already started doing so. The reason given is concern for health.

3.         According to Wine Intelligence (The Wine Consumer Research Institute), the number of wine drinkers has decreased significantly over the last ten years in the main markets. A decade ago, the percentage of adults aged 18 to 34 who regularly drank wine was around 50 percent in Britain.   If we consider the figure for the same age group at the end of 2020, it would be only 24 percent.

4.         In 2022 the European Parliament approved the report on the fight against cancer with clear demands: there is no risk-free alcohol consumption.

5.         The WHO is changing paradigm and is moving from a discourse of moderation to more radical communication to try to create an environment of social unacceptability as with tobacco.

More than ever, in terms of medical research, consumers are confronted with scientific inconsistencies and contradictory results which dictate public policies and which elude the history of the consumption and production of alcoholic beverages and the development of human civilization since, at least, the Neolithic.

Claude Gilois, ex-biologist (Fellow of The Institute of Biomedical Sciences), turned importer of fine non-French wines and creator of the company Vins du Monde 1995, will try to make you understand the issues in 7 articles, published in French and in English on his blog (but also readable in the language of your choice) on his website terroirsdumondeeducation.com

First article: week of January 22-26, 2024

A SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND IS NOT NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND THE ARTICLES. ALL SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL TERMS WILL BE EXPLAINED.