A counterpart to slow drinking is not drinking to get drunk. In the United States, getting drunk is usually the end goal of many moments spent drinking. This may seem surprising. After all, France has a reputation for being a country of wine lovers. You may even have heard that there is no legal drinking age. And you wouldn`t have been wrong a few decades ago! But when it comes to alcohol laws, the France has changed in interesting and often surprising ways. Now that you know how to drink wine like French, it`s time to learn a general French drinking label that applies to all drinking situations – starting with one of the most important. In France, there is also less of a culture of efficiency. The waiters won`t throw you off your table if you make time with dessert. Bartentenders won`t kick you out if you stop drinking.
In chemical terms, alcohol is an organic compound formed during the fermentation of grains, vegetables or fruits. Medically, alcohol is classified as a sedative (as opposed to a stimulant like caffeine or a hallucinogen like psilocybin) with a variety of physiological effects. Most of these effects involve slowing down or obstructing bodily functions. For example, alcohol inhibits bodily motor functions and slows reaction times. The more you drink, the slower and clumsier they become. Similarly, alcohol also hinders the brain`s communication pathways. While one or two drinks can make a person looser and more relaxed, continued consumption leads to symptoms such as slurred speech, cloudy thinking, and poor decision-making. Excessive alcohol consumption can also lead to additional complications such as vomiting, memory loss, drowsiness up to fainting, and in extreme cases, alcohol poisoning.
Finally, long-term excessive alcohol consumption can contribute to serious physiological conditions, including (but not limited to) pancreatitis, cardiomyopathy, liver disease, hyperglycemia, cancer, and various neurological disorders. One reason for this is that most sources are biased and try to raise awareness of this phenomenon. Another is that there does not appear to be a concrete and impartial study or report conducted in recent years on excessive alcohol consumption in France. We have already established that the drinking age in France is 18, but this has not always been the case. Prior to 2006, persons aged 16 and over were allowed to consume fermented alcoholic beverages such as beer, cider or wine. One of my favorite parts of French drink culture is the aperitif (short for aperitif). This is a light meal/drink that you can compare to appetizers or a really sophisticated pre-match. In France, it is illegal to sell alcohol, alcohol to minors (people under 18), so the production of false identity documents is now a booming activity in Paris and has an important status symbol.
In France, excessive alcohol consumption is quite rare. Since most French children see responsible alcohol consumption at a young age, there is less secrecy and curiosity around alcohol. But this idea seems to be refuted by the statistics of other studies, such as that of US News & World Report, which counts the daily amount of drinks consumed by people below and above the legal drinking age (in this case, 15-19 year olds). Here, the France ranks 10th with an average of 3.4 drinks consumed per day. Yet excessive alcohol consumption was seen as a problem that swept the nation. In 2009, the Minister of Health and Sports, Roselyne Bachelot, passed a law setting the current legal age to consume and buy alcohol in France – 18 to consume and buy alcohol freely, and 16 to drink (but not be allowed to buy alcohol) accompanied by adults. When you think of French alcoholic beverages, the first thing that usually comes to mind is wine – whether or not you know the age of alcohol consumption in France. And for good reason! Regardless, binge drinking in France doesn`t seem to be the milestone it often is in countries like the United States, where it`s normal to think you`re going to get drunk at the age of 21 (the legal drinking age), at house parties, college/fraternity events, and sorority, etc. If you`re curious about drinking like a Frenchman (responsibly), this recent poll published in Le Figaro shows that wine is still the drink of choice, but beer comes in second. This is particularly true in the north of the country.
Champagne, cocktails and other spirits are also popular and easy to find. So if you`re 18 or older, you can enjoy the drink of your choice the next time you`re in France. It`s no secret that Americans have a somewhat turbulent history with alcohol consumption. From prohibition to the culture of binge drinking to alcohol poisoning, our relationship with alcohol isn`t perfect. When it comes to binge drinking, the website says there could be a shift to the so-called “Nordic model” of alcohol consumption — that is, drinking less often, but consuming more drinks if you have any. Thanks to film, television and other forms of popular culture, countries that consider excessive alcohol consumption and wild parties as the norm among young people seem to have influenced younger generations of young French people. Statistics show that the French generally consume much less alcohol than in previous decades. But it is difficult to know whether excessive alcohol consumption has decreased significantly or not.
The legal drinking age in France is 18 for ALL ALCOHOL, INCLUDING WINE AND BEER. As you now know, in addition to the age of alcohol consumption, there are many differences in the label of drinking in France. And remember that there is no age limit if you want to enjoy the French of pleasure! Depending on where you grew up in the United States, you may have been exposed to excessive alcohol consumption. Excessive alcohol consumption is excessive consumption of alcohol with the intention of becoming severely intoxicated. I hope you now have an idea of the drinking age in France, as well as some knowledge of the usual alcohol laws. If you want to know more about French culture, visit our French culture page. Of course, driving under the influence of alcohol is illegal (and dangerous), and if someone is arrested for drunkenness, they risk fines of up to 150 euros. The maximum permitted alcohol content for drivers is equal to three (8 ounces) halves of beer, two glasses of wine or three glasses of champagne. If you don`t want to drink in France, don`t worry, you won`t have to.
French may be one of the most important drink-consuming cultures in the world, but I`ve never seen a Frenchman feel insulted or insist that someone drink with them – and you can take my word for it, because I`m not really a big drinker myself. If you traveled to France years ago, you might feel like drinking at a younger age is legal than in many other countries. This is because the French, like other European countries, have a long tradition of teaching young people the pleasures of drinking wine (sometimes diluted with water) at home (at meals) from an early age. Now that you know if you can enjoy a glass of white wine with your fried stirrings, let`s dive a little deeper into the culture of drinking in France. From French drinking habits to habits to unwritten rules, you`ll learn everything you need to know about drinking alcohol in France. Not only do you have to be 18 to consume alcohol, but you also have to be 18 to buy it well (even if you don`t intend to drink it). Not only that, but you must also be 16 years old to enter a drinking establishment (bar, tavern, etc.) unless you are accompanied by an adult. Throughout history, until drinking water and pasteurized milk were available to the population, it was indeed safer to drink alcohol. Until 1956, drinking water was the norm in France, and it seems to have been the case for some time. But what hadn`t changed was the French idea that wine is a healthy drink for people of all ages. But this is usually not the case with French.
This is because they know that if they keep drinking after a glass of wine, they will end up getting drunk. If you are against drinking alcohol (e.g. for religious reasons), do not be offended. It`s just a normal part of French life. The French are very proud of their wine and it is honestly rare for the French to appreciate wine from elsewhere. But whether it`s French wine or not, the French have a certain wine consumption label. However, the study is somewhat vague. We do not know when or why the young people surveyed consume alcohol. Do they drink illegally or socially, or do they just have a glass of wine at family dinners? It took me so long to give up this habit and I still drink accidentally before clapping sometimes. But the Frenchman will probably find rude if you start drinking before everyone else.
Until 2009, the legal drinking age in France was raised to 18 for cider, wine and beer (16 and 18 for spirits) for all types of alcoholic beverages. Theoretically, the sale of alcohol to under-18s has been banned since 2009, but “carding” is something I`ve never seen in France.