Study finds French are big drinkers

FRENCH people are among the heaviest drinkers in the world, consuming the equivalent of 120 bottles of wine a year on average, new research suggests.

France came top in the study of all 34 countries that make up the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development - but alcohol consumption has fallen in the past 20 years.

The study found that harmful drinking is on the rise among women with high education levels, who are twice as likely to be hazardous drinkers as less educated women, while men with a low and intermediate level of education are more likely to drink at risk.

In France the heaviest-drinking 20% of the population drink about 50% of all alcohol. Compared with other countries in the OECD area, France has milder levels of taxation of alcohol, particularly for wine.

OECD secretary-general Angel Gurría said: "The cost to society and the economy of excessive alcohol consumption around the world is massive. This report provides clear evidence that even expensive alcohol abuse prevention policies are cost-effective in the long run and underlines the need for urgent action by governments."
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