Adoption of the premix tax in France: a victory for public health!

As part of the final review of the PLFSS 2020, parliamentarians resisted pressure and maintained the extension of the premix tax to wine-based blends. The measure, which has been requested by ANPAA for several years, will come into force on 1 July 2020. This is a great victory for public health!

For several years, ANPAA has been calling for an alignment of the taxation of aromatized wines (grapefruit rosé and other red cola) with that of spirit-based premixes for which the legislator set a dissuasive tax in 2004. The tax had an almost immediate effect and led to a 40% drop in premix sales in 2005. At that time, wine-based flavoured drinks were spared.

Called Vinipops, these drinks are specially designed for young people: they are less alcoholic than wines (7 to 8°), have names designed to attract this customer segment and are sold at low prices making them accessible to adolescents with low purchasing power. In 2013, the owner of the Rosé sucette brand said: "these bottles, at less than 3 euros on the shelf, will be a springboard allowing neophytes to access more classic wines. Especially for a rather young and female audience.  

For Bernard Basset, vice-president of ANPAA, "even if the tax adopted is much lower than that of spirit-based premixes, it nevertheless shows the will to fight against these products". ANPAA welcomes the commitment of all deputies and senators who have mobilized despite pressure from lobbies that have brandished a number of fallacious arguments for the amendment to be deleted. In the end, they only obtained a postponement of the entry into force of the measure until 1 July 2020.

Taxation of strong beers and financing of prevention  

On the other hand, the fight continues over other products that contribute to problematic alcohol consumption among young people, namely strong beers. ANPAA proposed the extension of the social security contribution to beers with a content of more than 8.5%. Amendments to this effect had been tabled by parliamentarians but were not adopted.

Similarly, the Addictions Fund's contribution by a tax on advertising for alcoholic beverages was not withheld. However, it is beyond comprehension why alcohol - the second most important cause of preventable mortality - does not contribute to the financing of prevention activities.

ANPAA will therefore continue its awareness-raising activities so that these provisions will eventually come into being in the context of a future PLFSS.

Source:  https://www.anpaa.asso.fr/lanpaa/actualites/alcool/1047-adoption-taxe-premix-victoire-sante-publique