Wine Law

PROMOTING THE WINE INDUSTRY UNDER FRENCH LAW 321 becoming a patriotic drink 14 . Under the law of 6 May 1919 relating to the protection of appellations of origin, the French wine-growing landscape was rebuilt during the period between wars. Gradually, the State took certain measures to ban the consumption of alcoholic beverages, beginning with the law of 15 April 1954, which dealt with the treatment of alcoholics who posed a threat to others, followed by the law of 28 November 1956 to end child alcoholism. The consumption of alcoholic beverages in canteens was prohibited for underage children (i.e. younger than 14), as it was acceptable to drink alcohol in school. Some advertisements even promoted the merits of drinking and the benefits of alcohol for children, with alcohol brands distributing their leaflets within schools and claiming that alcohol was good for the children’s health. At that time, alcohol was believed to be able to fight germs, and each child was entitled to half a litre of either wine, beer or cider. The ban did not include young people over the age of 14, who were allowed to consume alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of fewer than 3 degrees. A circular, dated 3 September 1981, proclaimed a ban on the consumption of any alcoholic drink in school canteens. The decree of 23 December 1958 was the first official text to penalise driving while intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol. Law no. 78-732 of 12 July 1978 set the alcohol level at 0.8g/l 15 and the slogan “drink or drive, you have to choose” appeared. Ordinance no. 59-107, dated 7 January 1959, established the rules governing drinking establishments contained measures to combat alcoholism 16 . In 1960, the consumption of distilled drinks in drinking establishments was prohibited for young people under the age of 20 and fermented drinks prohibited for young people under 12. Concerning employees, and according to the decree of 11 August 1961, given the very hot summer that year, employers were required to make drinks readily available, and specifically non-alcoholic beverages for those employees whose jobs exposed them to constant and intense dehydration, either because of elevated air temperature, pollution or abnormally high hygrometric temperatures. 14 According to R. Poincaré, wine is “the essence of joy and health, extract of Gallic mood, reflection of the sweet country of France”, as cited by C. Lucand, “Le Monde Diplomatique”, August 2019, “Le "Wine" or the blood of the hairy”. 15 Today set at 0.5g/l. 16 Article L.20 of the Code of drinking establishments prohibited “to give, distribute or send to minors under twenty years of leaflets, blotters, notebook covers or any objects naming an alcoholic drink, or by extolling the merits or bearing the brand or name of the manufacturer of such a drink”. This rule is now found in the Public Health Code.