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In January, sobriety will take on a completely different meaning than that relayed in the media in recent months. For 31 days, a third of French people decided to abstain from drinking alcohol, if not to have a more reasonable consumption. A real challenge when you are over 50 years old.
Dry January: voluntary weaning for one month
After the end-of-year celebrations, comes the time for good resolutions, which often lead to new challenges. The “dry january” – literally the “dry January”, has become in recent years a very popular challenge. Initiated in the United Kingdom in 2013 in order to assess the beneficial effects on health of stopping alcohol, this sober month has above all become over time an opportunity to become aware of its consumption and to evaluate the importance that we give in our life to wine, cocktails or spirits. The very idea of indicating this awareness campaign as a challenge demonstrates how much alcohol has a prominent place in our habits. At a time when wine consumption has been divided in France by 3.5 in the space of sixty years, under the effect, among other things, of a slow disaffection on the part of the younger generations, participation in the ” dry january” of consumers aged 50 and over appears to be a real challenge.
50% of young people will try the experience this year
According to an Ifop study carried out for Freixenet Gratien, half of 18-24 year olds will try the experience while they will be only 39% of 35-49 year olds and even 25% of 50-64 year olds. Beyond the lack of desire to take part in a “youth fashion”, following the “dry January” will consist for the more mature generations to question more the habits and the particular occasions which are associated with the consumption of alcohol. 56% of people over 65, for example, uncork a bottle at lunchtime. In general, alcohol is associated with times of celebration, such as birthdays (66%). All generations combined, wine and other alcoholic beverages hold a special place in French culture since 89% of respondents have consumed alcohol at least once during the year.
At the same time, non-alcoholic drinks find more of their place as an aperitif (35%). And even 50% of 18-24 year olds choose them on this occasion. This type of department, which includes mocktails or non-alcoholic beers, is surveyed monthly by only 25% of 50-64 year olds and 65 year olds and over. By comparison, they are respectively 66% and 73% to drink alcohol at least once a month. To break habits, the older generations will have to show openness by discovering the NoLow offer (English acronym for the offer without or weakly alcoholic).
*This IFOP study for Freixenet-Gratien was carried out online from November 9 to 11, 2022 among 985 people, aged 18 and over, representative of the population and who agreed to answer a topic on alcohol.