The Rugby World Cup was an opportunity to remind people of the dangers of alcohol. The government decided otherwise. According to Radio Francethe Directorate General for Health (DGS) had asked Public Health France in November 2022 to work on a prevention campaign entitled “alcohol and rugby”. It should have been broadcast at the beginning of September. But it would have simply been canceled after the cabinet of Emmanuel Macron passed on the arguments of the alcohol sector to the cabinet of François Braun, the Minister of Health at the time. According to Radio France, which cites a source familiar with the matter, there was “a form of self-censorship” to the ministry with the result of having “gunned down” both campaigns.
“Everything was ready”
What campaigns? Two visuals were submitted by Santé Publique France, in the presence and with the support of the DGS, in May 2023, to the office of the Minister of Health, François Braun. “Everything was ready, narrates Radio France. The scenario: a “supporter coach”, a strong physique, had to remind the spectators to avoid alcohol abuse. “Don’t let alcohol knock you out,” read the slogan that remained in the boxes. But they are therefore canceled a few weeks later.
To save appearances, a prevention campaign aimed at young people has been validated. “Prevention campaigns aimed at young people or pregnant women do not bother alcoholics because they are targeted”, explains Myriam Savy, director of advocacy within the association Addictions France, at Radio France. On the other hand, the two censored campaigns “target the general population who consume alcohol on a regular basis. They are told “alcohol poses a health risk. It is a risk factor for cancer”. And that, the alcohol industry does not like. And she denounces “the pressure exerted by the alcoholists on the public authorities and in particular the Elysée”.
Lack of structural will of the State
Orchestrated pressure, according to Radio France, supporting documents, by the Wine and Society lobby, which sent an inflammatory letter in January to Emmanuel Macron to react to the prevention campaign of Public Health France broadcast during the holidays. A text that could be at the origin of “self-censorship” of the Ministry of Health. Associations fighting against the ravages of alcohol also regularly criticize the structural lack of will of the State on this subject, in particular on the occasion of Dry January.
François Braun’s successor had the opportunity to erase all that. But according to Radio France, the cabinet of Aurélien Rousseau refused to rebroadcast an old campaign from 2019, including the following slogans: “Beyond two glasses a day, you increase your risk of cerebral hemorrhage, cancer and hypertension”; “For your health, alcohol is a maximum of two glasses a day. And not every day.” A decision qualified as“extremely worrying” by Myriam Savy, from the association Addictions France. Who adds: “One has the impression that the economic interests [de la filière alcool] come before the health of the population.”