Why the fight against alcoholism largely loses its effectiveness by not targeting the most at-risk people better

Atlantico: Wine and Society, the body representing the powerful wine lobby, presented Wednesday at the Elysée a plan with 30 measures to fight against alcoholism. Specifically, what are the measures presented?

Fatma Bouvet de la Maisonneuve : In fact, they have limited themselves to the priorities that have been known for a number of years: pregnant women, alcohol in flying … They did not really dig the question and did not bring anything back. In some proposals, they show that they do not know alcoholic disease. You have to know that a number of alcoholic patients are waiting to go home to really drink large quantities. There is a shift in the alcohol lobby between their goal and the knowledge of the disease.

That's why I think that even if it's a good intention, and they have been doing it for a while, it's not up to them to do prevention because they do not master the disorders. They only keep control of their products. On the question of prevention, they formulate a double discourse. They sponsor evenings in the grandes écoles and preach the evening captain ("Sam") at the same time. It sounds like cynicism to me.

We are not genetically equal: some fall into alcoholism more easily, others do not, whatever their social practices or their environment. Should not we help in the first place those who have a breeding ground for addiction? Is the failure of the fight against alcoholism not due to its lack of personalization?

But how? We would do a campaign for people with a history of the first degree, another for people suffering at work, another for jobs at risk, another for women victims of violence … It is endless. A personalized campaign seems to be a very good idea but it is not feasible. We must leave the professionals the hand. And give us the means to raise awareness so that those concerned are encouraged to come and consult us.

Alcohol campaigns do not work. The problem is that when the alcoholists made this announcement, a lot of media space was reserved for them. Much more, compared to what we professionals demand. They presented a report on obvious things, with errors concerning the pathology, but this gives rise to an important media space. When we try to spread the message of laxity that is practiced by the promotion of alcohol, our lack of means in terms of communication and awareness, we are not heard. Why is not the echo so important? The technical and medical aspect that we use certainly does not touch enough. Yet, it is necessary. I am not against the fact that we help promotion, but that it is not mastered is something dangerous

These 30 proposed measures have proved their worth elsewhere

Yes, they have proven themselves. But in countries where the percentage of alcoholics is lower than in France. Other measures could be much more effective. One wonders why we do not apply in France the same policy as for tobacco? Learn how to raise the price of alcohol