Dry January: cultural shift around alcohol, but political resistance remains

Wine remains a centerpiece of French social life, even as drinking habits are starting to change, despite political pressure against campaigns such as Dry January. © Francois Mori/AP

"Dry January", an initiative to encourage people to stop drinking during the month after the holidays, has had trouble picking up steam in France, where winemakers hold political and economic clout. RFI spoke to Mickaël Naassila, initiator of the French version of "Dry January" – Defi de Janvier – and the director of the Alcohol Research Group at the University of Picardie and Inserm, about how attitudes towards alcohol are evolving in France.

RFI: Is France emerging from a kind of collective denial around alcohol?