French cut down on booze: survey

THE FRENCH are drinking less alcohol than they did two years ago, according to an annual survey of companies in the industry.

Only one in 10 drink every day, the study found, compared to 14% of French people just two years ago.

And daily consumers of alcoholic drinks tend to be older (21%) and men (18%), according to the survey on behalf of an association of 23 industry businesses.

But France is not turning into a nation of teetotallers. According to a second study of 12,000 people by KantarWorldPanel, almost all French households (96%) buy alcohol every week.

The amount of alcohol they buy, however, has fallen at a rate of 1.4 litres a year since 2008, although the amount they spend has increased by an average of €24.50 in the same period.

It suggests, the survey’s authors claim, that the French are increasingly casual drinkers, who prefer quality over quantity.

The fall in alcohol consumption in France has been felt in cafes, bars, restaurants and nightclubs, too.

A third, Europe-wide, survey - this time of 14,000 people - the French go out less often than their counterparts in the UK, or even Spain, making 20 “nights out” a year in 2013, compared to 48 and 33 respectively.

And when people do go out in France, the survey found only 44% of them order an alcoholic drink, compared to 55% in Spain and 48% in Germany.

Photo: Daniel70mi