direction générale de la santé sanitary warnings on alcoholic beverages french experience...

Direction générale de la Santé

Sanitary warnings on alcoholic Sanitary warnings on alcoholic beverages beverages

French experienceFrench experience

Pierre-Yves Bello, MD, MPH Pierre-Yves Bello, MD, MPH Protecting the unborn baby from alcohol

Eurocare’s policy debate, the European Parliament

17th of September 2013


Plan

Context

Implementation of the “No alcohol during pregnancy logo” on alcoholic beverages

Elements on the evolution of beliefs and behaviours

Conclusion

Alcohol & sanitary warnings in France


The French context

The French regulatory framework on alcohol ads is included in the Public Health code since the “Loi Evin “(1991) publication

• Total ban on television

• Partial ban on radio broadcasting

• Total ban on newspapers, magazines and websites specifically for young people

• Sponsoring is forbidden if it produces propaganda or advertisements

• Content of ads is regulated (only the products and its description)



The French context -2-

• • A sanitary warning on ads is mandatory (Art L3323-4 PHC) :

• “all advertisement […] must display a sanitary message explaining that alcohol abuse is dangerous for health.”

Alcohol & sanitary warning in France


Logo on alcoholic beverages

•Impossible to define a non problematic threshold of consumption of alcohol during pregnancy : No alcohol during pregnancy

•February 2005 :

• law on disabled people’s rights

•Senator’s Payet amendment : “All units of alcoholic beverages display a sanitary message advocating avoiding alcohol consumption by pregnant women.”

• Decree (02/10/2006) : “the sanitary message must be either a text or a logo”

•A warning message has been mandatory in France since October 2007




Logo on alcoholic beverages -2-

“La consommation de boissons alcoolisées pendant la grossesse, même en faible quantité, peut avoir des conséquences graves sur la santé de l'enfant.”

or



logo on alcoholic beverages -3-Some concrete examples



logo on alcoholic beverages -4-

The implementation of the mandatory warning was accompanied by :

Information at schools

Communication campaign

Information within pregnancy follow-up document

Professionals training

Experimental surveillance system


Beliefs and behaviour

GP-2005 GP-2007 GP-2008 PW-2012Not definitive

PW must not drink 82% 87% 87%

Some wine is good 33% 31% 4%

Beer & breast-feeding

29% 25% 9%

Drunk = risk for baby

81% 82% 90%

Alcohol & pregnancy = danger

22% 27% 70%



Beliefs and behaviour -2-

Among pregnant women or those who recently gave birth

Non definitive results

Knowledge of the sanitary warning : 66%

Among alcohol consumers before pregnancy : 77%

Among alcohol consumers during pregnancy : 75%

Logo is remembered by 93% of women knowing the warning

Logo is understood by 99% of women



Beliefs and behaviours -3-

Alcohol consumption of pregnant women

1995 1998 2010 2012Not definitive

O after knowing 3.2%

0 drink 3 trimester 75% 77% 77% all pregnancy

89% all pregnancy

1-6 20% 19% 17%1 or

less/month

8%1 or

less/month

7-13 3,5% 3%

more 1,4 0,9%

2-4/month or more 2,5% 2,5%



Conclusion

Pregnancy and alcohol :

An increase in positive knowledge and attitude during the last 10 years

Dangers linked to alcohol are still underestimated in France

8% PW had 4 drinks or more during the first three months

Warning logo

A relatively high knowledge of the warning message and its meaning, despite industrials’ reluctance, but

25% of drinking pregnant women not aware of it

Necessity of making it more readable for consumers

A useful tool which must be included within a global strategy



Alcohol & warning message in France

Conclusion

Thank you for your attention

direction générale de la santé sanitary warnings on alcoholic beverages french experience...

Documents

sant alcohol sanitary

alcohol pregnancy

women alcohol sanitary

sant sanitary warnings

direction gnrale

alcohol ads

france slide

alcohol consumption