The plan for a French "Dry January" is unlikely to materialize in 2020

In recent days, an initiative has been the subject of heated debate: the “Alcohol-Free January” campaign. Inspired by the British “Dry January,” this campaign was scheduled to last one month—specifically, January 2020—and had been launched by the public health agency Santé publique France (which operates under the supervision of the Minister of Health). However, while advocacy groups and addiction specialists welcomed the initiative, no official announcement had been made by the government. For wine professionals, this initiative was not good news at all, as they are already facing other developments that are cause for concern. But for now, it appears that the government is not in favor of this “alcohol-free month.” Thus, during a visit to Champagne In mid-November, French President Emmanuel Macron told representatives of the wine industry that “there will be no ‘Dry January.’”

A campaign causing concern among stakeholders in the wine industry

In England, “Dry January” was launched in 2013 by the organization Alcohol Change. Its goal is simple: to stop—or at least reduce—alcohol consumption throughout the month of January. Over the years, this initiative has grown in popularity. The agency Santé publique France therefore wanted to draw inspiration from it, and a project was in the works. Normally, it should have been unveiled before the end of the year. However, for those in the wine industry, this campaign raised concerns that compounded those already caused by Brexit and the increase in U.S. tariffs on French wines. They therefore shared their concerns with the government and, in particular, with the President of the Republic when he was in Champagne. And it appears their concerns were heard, as this “Dry January” campaign is not expected to take place in 2020.

The reasons for the cancellation of this initiative, which has not discouraged the organizations

The cancellation of this campaign did not go unnoticed. Alcoholism prevention groups and addiction specialists accused the Ministry of Health of scrapping the project due to pressure from the wine lobby and winegrowers. These accusations forced Agnès Buzyn to respond. On Thursday, November 21, 2019, she told Franceinfo that this “Alcohol-Free Month” had “not been approved by the Ministry of Health.” She also clarified that “we have an interministerial committee dedicated to health prevention in February, and that is when prevention programs are approved by the government.” Do these remarks confirm that the initiative has been scrapped? In the meantime, since a government-backed “Dry January” in 2020 seems unlikely, the organizations hope to mobilize civil society to encourage consumers to participate in this French version of “Dry January” anyway.