What help is there for
alcohol dependency
and to stop smoking in France?
English-speaking support groups are available in many areas
The first Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in France were in English, in Paris, in 1949
fizkes / Shutterstock
A move to a new country – and the isolation that can follow – might sometimes be a trigger to alcoholism, according to one member of Alcoholics Anonymous in France.
“Speaking personally, as an American, France was a big culture shock and I had a hard time adapting,” said Ann E. “I’ve heard other people say that one thing we all share as alcoholics is a sense of isolation but when you go to another country, you are out of your language and that increases it.”
While AA in France is primarily aimed at French people and is known as Alcooliques Anonymes, the concept came from America and the first AA-style meetings were in English, in Paris, in 1949.
Meetings in French were launched in 1960. The organisation has a network of English-speaking meetings in areas including Paris, the Riviera and the south-west.
Meetings are held at various times of day and internet-based groups also exist.
Ann said the signs of dependency are “when you start organising your life around drinking”.
“It’s not how much you drink but how you drink. There is a lot of denial involved before you accept you have a problem.”
She said a key factor in AA is a lack of hierarchy.
“No one’s in charge. We share experiences and make suggestions.”
There are lists of English-speaking groups at alcoholics-anonymous.eu and aa-southoffrance.org.
AA in France also holds an annual conference in a French city, which can be an opportunity to find out more.
Official information on the issue in French can be found at alcool-info-service.fr and by phone at 0980 980 930 (anonymous and at ordinary call charges).
This website also advises talking to your own GP about the issue if you feel alcohol is becoming a problem for you. He or she can be a first port of call for advice and, if necessary, can refer you to relevant specialists such as an alcoologue or addictologue.
When it comes to stopping smoking, state healthcare reimburses nicotine substitutes at 65% and some mutuelles top this up.
You need a prescription from your GP, or from a nurse or dentist, or from a midwife in the case of pregnancy.
Specialist tabacologues also exist for anti-smoking advice. Patches and pastilles can be bought from pharmacies and the tiers payant system can now be offered for this.
As the price can mount up – and even include other costs such as complementary therapies (acupuncture, homeopathy, hypnosis...) – many top-ups now include cover.
Use of e-cigarettes as an alternative, or a way of cutting down, is popular. There is some evidence that they are less harmful, though long-term studies are lacking.
France’s Tabac Info Service endorses this, saying that those who use only e-cigarettes do not inhale as many toxic substances as cigarette smokers.
A phone app, Tabac Info Service, can provide personalised help to stop and there is also an official website at tabac-info-service.fr.
The government has a website aimed at helping people to set a goal of one month without smoking, since people who reach this milestone are likely to be able to stop for good: mois-sans-tabac.tabac-info-service.fr
