Éduc' Alcool

ALCOHOL AND SOCIETY

Alcohol is woven into the fabric of human history With the exception of the aboriginal peoples of North America and Australia, every human culture around the world has developed some sort of alcoholic drink by fermenting plant products, including grapes, apples, sugar cane, potatoes and beets.

Archeological findings show it is reasonable to assume that grapes were used to produce wine in Southeast Asia 9,000 years ago.

In ancient times, wine came to replace the blood and human sacrifices offered up to the gods. Homer mentions it in both the Iliad and the Odyssey.

The Bible contains about 150 references to wine. In fact, Christ’s first miracle was to turn water into wine at the marriage at Cana.

Rules to ensure the balance between enjoyment and abuse In Greece, where people have been sipping ouzo for 4,000 years, drunkenness is rare. Inebriation is also severely frowned upon in Bordeaux, where there is no shortage of fine wine.

In Quebec, there is an unwritten code regarding "socially acceptable" drinking. More than 95% of the population recognizes the Éduc’alcool slogan "La modération a bien meilleur goût / Moderation is always in good taste" and many of them put the message into practice.

Nothing is perfect Unfortunately, dozens of people still die every year in road accidents in Quebec. Forty-five percent of these cases involve excessive drinking. Absenteeism and domestic violence are also often related to alcohol abuse.

However, most alcohol-related tragedies do not involve alcoholics. They involve "ordinary" people who drink too much on a particular occasion. Problems usually arise after a person has had five drinks (a bottle of wine contains six).

It’s worth noting that 20% of Quebecers admit to having five or more drinks at least five times a year.

Changing attitudes, one person at a time The Éduc’alcool approach has always been to target specific groups: young people, drivers, snowmobilers, boaters, students, pregnant women, and others.

Our programs and partnerships are having an impact:

on the water

on the road

in hotels and restaurants

in schools

through public health organizations

through physicians’ offices

through driving schools

and even through automobile dealer