Faced with the proliferation of content promoting alcohol on social networks, the Addictions France association is calling for it to be banned, according to a report that France Inter was able to consult.
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The Addictions France association accuses alcohol companies of encouraging young people to drink on social networks, and calls for a ban on the “alcohol marketing” online, according to a report published on Thursday, September 26, exclusively revealed by France Inter.
Between June 2021 and January 2024, the association was able to observe 11,300 publications on social networks, mainly on TikTok and Instagram. Nearly 46% of these publications came from influencers and 802 alcohol brands were identified. At the top of the ranking: Ricard, Heineken and Apérol.
Most of the time, sponsored content arrives directly in users’ publications or in their stories on Instagram. The ads are worked on, they are sometimes mini-films where alcohol is always promoted. The goal? Target young people today to ensure more consumers for tomorrow, while 82% of 15-25 year-olds see alcohol ads every week on their smartphone.
The association takes the example of Bombay Saphir gin. In more than two years, 340 contents have been identified by the association. For example, the brand organized a posh evening with influencers to promote its product. “dozens of contents promoting alcohol consumption” were published in the wake of this, regrets the association, which notes that 38% of gin consumers are between 18 and 35 years old.
A finding that worries Addictions France while the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Trends revealed in January 2024 that nearly 15% of 4th and 3rd year students had experienced an episode of “binge drinking” in the month preceding the survey. The association points out that alcohol is the leading cause of hospitalization, the second leading cause of preventable mortality as well as the second risk factor for cancer and road deaths.
While the Évin law, which limits alcohol advertising, is supposed to apply online, Addictions France believes that it is too easy to circumvent it today on social networks. It is therefore calling for:“ban the promotion of alcohol on social networks.”