Registered in the advertising landscape since 1991, the mention “Consume in moderation” has, in reality, nothing regulatory to begin with. If the Évin law imposed warnings on abuse, it was under the influence of alcohol lobbies that the notion of “moderation” took hold.
The trap of a too vague slogan
But for Dr Philippe Batel, addictologist interviewed by
True Medicalthis concept is medical nonsense. “Moderation is a subjective notion that varies from one individual to another. he explains. Studies show that for some, moderation begins with abstinence, while for others, it stops at… 10 drinks per day!
“Each person views moderation through their own prism, which, in terms of public health, has no value“, specifies the doctor.
Worse still, in 99% of cases, people report consuming less than their own definition of moderation, giving themselves a false sense of security.
A real risk from the first drink
The myth that there is a “healthy” threshold below which alcohol is harmless is a myth that has a hard core. Recent research from Inserm is clear: the risk of mortality, cancer or cardiovascular disease increases from the first drop. Finally, let us remember that alcohol is the second cause of avoidable mortality in France with 41,000 deaths per year.
For experts, the current slogan should be replaced by a more honest statement. “All alcohol consumption poses a health risk“. The objective is to move from a notion of “abuse” (very vague) to that of lower-risk consumption.
What are the new health benchmarks?
Faced with this “fog” maintained by alcohol producers, Santé Publique France has set clear limits since 2017. To limit the damage, the golden rule is now the following:
- No more than 2 glasses per day;
- No more than 10 glasses per week;
- At least 1 day without consumption per week.
© FRENCH ALCOOLOGY SOCIETY
The standard glass in France, 10 grams of pure ethanol
Dr Batel confirms that this reference of ten standard drinks per week defines what we call “low-risk consumption”. He also highlights the difficulty of maintaining this course. “The line between social festive consumption and pathological behavior is blurred. As a reminder, addiction arises from a disruption of the reward loop in the brain.
Reducing your consumption: a winning strategy
However, unlike tobacco, where complete cessation is often the only beneficial outcome, alcohol allows a risk reduction strategy. Dr Philippe Batel notes that even for former alcoholics, abstinence is not the only path, although difficult. “Only 20% of former patients manage to control their consumption in the long term, which means that 80% do not succeed. This is why less consumption is already progress.”
To test your relationship with alcohol, experts recommend participating in challenges like Dry January. The opportunity to break away from social automatisms and see the immediate benefits on sleep, energy or blood pressure. We always benefit from reducing our consumption. It’s not about banning for the sake of banning, but about regaining power over your health.