Alcohol should be consumed in moderation. But how many glasses does it correspond to? A group of independent experts has just submitted its conclusions to the National Agency for Public Health France and the National Cancer Institute.
Result: two drinks of alcohol per day maximum and no more than ten drinks per week (so at least two days without alcohol). This concerns both men and women. As for pregnant women and adolescents, they strongly advise not to consume it at all.
“Renewing the public discourse on alcohol”
If it is for the moment a simple opinion and not official recommendations of the French health authorities, the benchmarks have indeed been revised downwards. In current texts, it is recommended not to exceed two drinks per day for women and three for men. A glass corresponds to 10 cl of wine or half of beer or even 6 cl of strong alcohol.
Experts consider the warning “alcohol abuse is dangerous for health” insufficient. According to them, the warning “Any consumption carries risks for your health” would be more appropriate. They wish to “renew the public discourse on alcohol” as specified in their opinion published on May 4. Cirrhosis, cancer, cardiovascular disease … alcohol causes 49,000 deaths per year.
The “contradictory public double discourse” is also singled out. On the one hand, underline the dangers and “the need to reduce consumption”, on the other, “the economic weight of alcohol”, often presented as an element of “cultural heritage”. To combat the risks, experts recommend changing the tax system. Currently fixed by type of drink (0.003 euro per glass for wine and 0.14 for spirits), taxes should rather be proportional to the quantity of alcohol consumed.
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