Éduc' Alcool

TAMING ALCOHOL

Alcohol has been recognized throughout history for its curative, antiseptic and fortifying properties.

Mead was the gift of the gods to the early Scandinavians; barley beer the magic potion of the Gauls. In fact, beer has always been considered a kind of tonic.

Imagine a Medieval monastery without its vineyard. Or a St. Bernard without its barrel. And could there be anything but references to health in the terms "apéritif", "digestif" and "eau-de-vie"?

Nor is alcohol just for drinking. It has countless industrial uses and can be found in such things as :

In short, when used well, alcohol is beneficial for humankind.

The dangers of alcoholism For some time now, the scientific community has been studying the consequences of drinking.

In France in the 1950s, drinking was a veritable scourge:

The 1960 edition of the Grand Larousse encyclopédique noted that five out of six "retarded" children were the children of alcoholics, and that 60% of "idiots" were the children of alcoholics.

The danger still exists, but today, we believe that we are no longer dealing with a crisis situation. Education has done its work on every continent.

As a society, we have tamed "the demon drink" Studies show that Quebecers are primarily interested in knowing how alcohol affects their health.

We now know that:

Nevertheless, continued effort is needed, particularly with young people.

Teenagers 15 to 19 still drink as much as they ever did, often to excess. Nonetheless, positive reinforcement campaigns remain an effective approach.

To reduce the social costs of drinking, we have to reach the population as a whole. In that regard, all recent efforts have had an impact.

True, alcohol still causes too much damage and violence and too many accidents, but as a society, we are more aware of the problem than ever, and that’s a big step in the right direction.