This doesn`t surprise me in the least, as the French relationship with food and drink tends to be balanced and moderate. There are people who abuse alcohol in France, but it is interesting to note that, although it ranks first among European countries in terms of per capita wine consumption, it is among those with the lowest rates of alcoholism. 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. For those with a reasonable level of French, check out this guide that answers a handful of questions about alcohol laws in France. 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. What is the legal drinking age in your country? When you drink, do you have a popular French alcoholic beverage – or one you want to try? Chemically, alcohol is an organic compound formed when grains, vegetables or fruits are allowed to ferment. 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.
Alcohol, for example, inhibits 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, including vomiting, memory problems, drowsiness to the point of “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 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 really sophisticated appetizers or foreplay. You may be wondering about the legal drinking age in France.
Maybe you`re planning a family trip with teenagers or young adults to Paris or elsewhere in France — or a young member of your family embarks on a guided tour, solo trip, or outing with friends. 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. 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. Traveling in France offers many opportunities to drink It is important to remember that if you want to legally buy and consume alcohol in France, you must be 18 years old, or 16 if you want to have a drink or two and you are with adults / in a family environment. 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. The legal age for the consumption and purchase of alcohol in the Faroe Islands is 18 years.
[163] As in many countries around the world, the minimum age for drinking alcohol in France is 18. This has not always been the case and there are exceptions, but for most situations, 18 is the magical age when alcohol can be consumed legally. With more scientific studies, the idea that wine is beneficial to health has been challenged. Excessive alcohol consumption among young people has also prompted lawmakers to set new limits. For more information, see the July 2019 article: “Are you sure you know about alcohol laws in France?” Section 78 of the Children`s Act – No person shall sell, lend, give, supply, provide or offer liquor to children under 16 years of age unless there is a written order signed by the parent or guardian of the child known to that person. The police have a duty to confiscate any alcoholic beverage in the possession of a child under the age of 16 without the written consent of parents or guardians. [38] But if you stick to French drinking habits, such as: Drinking slowly, I hope you can learn to drink like the Frenchman. Drinking slowly is something you`ll often see in France. If you are against drinking alcohol (e.g. for religious reasons), do not be offended. It`s just a normal part of French life.
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. 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 is 18 in Abu Dhabi (although a Ministry of Tourism regulation allows hotels to serve alcohol only to people over 21) and 21 in Dubai and the Northern Emirates (except Sharjah, where alcohol consumption is prohibited). [113] 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 age 21 (the legal drinking age), at home parties, academic/fraternity events, and sorority, etc. The most well-known reason for the law behind the legal drinking age is the effect on the brain in teenagers. As the brain is still maturing, alcohol can have a negative effect on memory and long-term thinking. In addition, it can cause liver failure and cause hormonal imbalance in adolescents due to the constant changes and maturation of hormones during puberty. [3] Youth are also particularly at risk when drinking alcohol,[4] as they may not have the necessary knowledge about low-risk alcohol consumption. In fact, public health researchers found that people`s age when they drank the first full serving of alcohol was significantly related to knowledge of low-risk alcohol consumption and beverage counting.
Knowledge about low-risk alcohol use and frequency of beverage counting increased more with age at first drinking in adolescence than at the last period. [5] The consumption of alcohol in public places, with the exception of designated drinking areas, is prohibited regardless of age. In the early 2000s, a significant number of French teenagers (whose parents and grandparents drank at school without any problems) began experimenting with excessive alcohol consumption (usually referred to as binge-drinking, express biture or binge 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. The legal drinking age in France is 18 for ALL ALCOHOL, INCLUDING WINE AND BEER.
One reason for this is that most sources are biased and try to raise awareness of this phenomenon.