Not only does the Minister of Health refuse to relax the Evin law in football stadiums, but she is also starting to think about banning alcohol in the VIP boxes where it is currently authorized, she announced to BFMTV August 21.
“The question is perhaps rather to eliminate alcohol in the VIP boxes”. The Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn not only refuses to relax the Evin law in football stadiums where alcohol cannot be sold in the stands, but she even plans to ban it for users of VIP boxes, as she announced it on BFMTV on Wednesday August 21.
In July, 105 deputies from République en Marche tabled a bill to “soften in a controlled manner” in stadiums the Evin law, which, since 1991, has prohibited the sale, distribution and introduction of alcoholic beverages in establishments for physical and sporting activities. Their objective being to extend “the granting of temporary authorizations for the sale of alcohol to sports companies”, as is already done in Germany or England.
Out of the question for the Minister of Health. “I say no to the relaxation of the Evin law, because I think that sport is an ideal moment to promote health, to make young people want to have good habits, and therefore it is not not at this time when we want to see acute alcoholism, even violence. And on the other hand, this relaxation would also make it possible to advertise”, she explained at the microphone of Jean – Jacques Bourdin on BFMTV. After learning that you could consume alcohol in the VIP boxes, which she “never” frequents, she also wonders if the real question is “not rather” to ban it there too .
“Fervor does not need alcohol to express itself in our stadiums”
This statement follows the controversy she had caused on social networks by taking a stand against the bill on Twitter on August 9. Many Internet users protested against the hypocrisy of banning alcohol from spectators in the stands when it flows freely in the VIP boxes.
Alcohol kills 41,000 people each year in our country. Each of these deaths is preventable.
Let’s not let new incentives for alcohol consumption become complicit in this record.
Fervor does not need alcohol to express itself in our stadiums.
— Agnes Buzyn (@agnesbuzyn) August 9, 2019
The French Federation of Addictology (FFA), on the other hand, approves this declaration. In an open letter to Agnès Buzyn, she assures that “all the players in addiction medicine represented by the FFA expect (…) that you firmly and publicly oppose these base maneuvers which have the sole objective of gradually emptying the Evin law of all the provisions that hinder the alcohol lobby”.
49,000 deaths caused by alcohol in France in 2009
In France, wine country par excellence, despite declining consumption over the past fifty years, alcohol always kills a lot. In 2009, it was responsible for 49,000 deaths (36,500 in men and 12,500 in women). And in 40% of cases, death occurs before the age of 65.
Deaths attributable to alcohol are mainly cancers (15,000) and cardiovascular diseases (12,000). Then come digestive diseases such as cirrhosis and accidents or suicides caused by excessive consumption (8,000 deaths).
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