How would you go about convincing the people you care about that drinking a little can be most enjoyable, but drinking a lot can be a disaster - for both their health and their social life? What would you do to boost your credibility, convey the notion that drinking is pleasurable, yet avoid sounding rigid or moralizing?

That's the challenge Éduc'alcool took on when it was founded ten years ago; since then, it has brought about and witnessed considerable changes among Quebecers and their approach to drinking.

Studies show that, compared to twenty years ago, Quebecers are not only drinking less, we're drinking better. Overall, the pursuit of inebriation and oblivion has given way to a growing interest in enjoyment, product quality and greater sophistication. As Éduc'alcool Executive Director Hubert Sacy notes, you'll find alcohol everywhere in Quebec - at home, at work and on vacation - but overall, our relationship to it is fairly healthy.

Which is not to say that all is fine. We know now, for example, that more car accidents are related to binge drinking than to chronic alcoholism. We also know that the only group that has shown no change in drinking habits over thirty years is teenagers 15-19: when young people drink, 40% of them do so to excess. Preventively speaking, this is the most difficult and delicate age group to reach. Teens are also the group least likely to heed words of wisdom.

Nonetheless, Éduc'alcool, which represents the various partners in the alcoholic beverage industry, has made substantial progress over the past decade. Its programs and involvements, all of which focus on accountability, moderation and a non-censuring approach, now reach hundreds of thousands of people a year, while its slogan, Moderation is always in good taste, is everywhere.

The most recent survey shows that 95% of Quebecers are familiar with the slogan. Clearly, the message is getting across. In a huge survey of Quebecers and drinking, the results of which were published in 1997, the vast majority of respondents (81%) said they believed that Quebecers were more aware of the concept of moderation than they had been five years earlier. Two-thirds of this group attributed the change to advertising about moderation.

Rightful credit for bringing Éduc'alcool to life goes to the Quebec liquor corporation, the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ). Claude Marier, now the SAQ's Chief Operating Officer – Retail, is generally considered the man behind the idea. Ten years ago, he was in charge of administration and public affairs. "I remember early meetings at which we discussed the challenge of selling a product that was very pleasant to drink, but could lead to problems if abused. Nobody from the middle of the spectrum, between those selling alcoholic products and the anti-drinking lobby, had pursued a line of reasoning that defined the limits of the product.

We wanted to develop a kind of 'directions for use' that would be neither too negative nor too reassuring. After all, a car can be dangerous if abused, so we prepare people to drive safely; the same goes for many of the things we do in life."

The concept grew, developed into a foundation, and ultimately became the organization known today as Éduc'alcool. "The industry responded well and took charge, literally. Basically, Éduc'alcool is in a way financed by every member of the industry whose products are distributed by the SAQ: for every case sold, a few cents goes to Éduc'alcool (seven to 21 cents a case, depending on the product). The SAQ is only one partner among many."

From the start, Éduc'alcool adopted a "one person at a time" approach. Programs were designed for specific groups - young people, students, pregnant women.

"We haven't done anything spectacular," says Marier, "but the results speak for themselves. Take the booklet on pregnancy and drinking: you'll now find it in almost every doctor's office in the province, and the English version is being used by various organizations across the rest of Canada."

The word is definitely spreading, and Éduc'alcool has reason to be proud. Campaigns based on the concepts of enjoyment and moderation are being considered and used in a number of countries, and Éduc'alcool is officially recognized by various international agencies.