Prevention plan of the French alcohol lobby does nothing for health

Media reports in France uncovered the intensity of the Elysée, relationship with the alcohol lobby, with the former lobbyist of Vin & Société as a close Advisor to the President Macron.

French alcohol industry even released their own plan on how alcohol prevention. Eurocare member ANPAA, given its genuine expertise in the field, published a revised and corrected version of how a real alcohol prevention plan should look like.

The plan issued by the economic sector of alcohol is a coup and a provocation for several reasons:
• Obviously, there was no consultation or formal information with the health actors. Certain of the support of the Elysee, the lobby does not even pretend to negotiate.
• The alcohol lobby imposes what would be accepted from any lobby, be it tobacco, medicine or food. What would one say if the tobacco companies imposed themselves in the Ministry of Health?

As for the content of the proposals, the objectives displayed are not followed by any precise commitment that would allow concrete effects. Simple wishful thinking - formulated that should "promote", improve "," promote responsibility "etc.

There is lack of quantified objective that would weigh on the sector, and which would make it possible to evaluate the results.

Finally, the icing on the cake, the lobby naturally proposes to rely on the self-regulation, while international studies demonstrate, regardless of the field, that self-regulation doesn’t work.

For months, French health organisations have been waiting for the publication of the Governmental Plan for the Prevention of Addictive Behavior, which has been steadily delayed. The most plausible explanation seems that that the alcohol component was being drafted by Vin & Society, with the blessing of Audrey Bourolleau at the Elysee.This "health plan" alcoholic is a snub to Public Health France and the National Cancer Institute [1], whose recommendations from their experts, presented in 2017 are still being evaluated by the government. Unlike the industry plan, they offer a precise framework and concrete proposals.

Alcohol lobby wants to put money in a fund, but under their exclusive control, to be assured that their interests will be preserved, rather than support the creation of a prevention and research fund funded by a share of taxes (measure 7 of the SPF-Inca report).

ANPAA urges the French authorities to follow the WHO recommendations: Public alcohol policies must be developed by public health officials without interference from commercial interests.

To read the full version and ANPAA’s take on the alcohol industry proposal follow the link.