Quitting alcohol

A history long before modern drinks

The history of alcoholic beverages dates back several millennia. In Jiahu, China, analyzes of residues absorbed into pottery indicate the production of a fermented drink combining rice, honey and fruit as early as the seventh millennium BC. It was neither an industrial beer nor a wine comparable to those of today. This example, however, shows that fermentation was already part of the food practices of very ancient communities.

These remains do not allow us to identify with certainty the first glass of alcohol of humanity. Rather, they show how archeology reconstructs practices from raw materials, containers and chemical traces. In the societies studied by this work, drinks could also take a place in rites and exchanges. Their seniority explains part of their cultural roots; it does not constitute proof of health benefit.

A product associated with meals, celebration and belonging

Alcohol is not only consumed for its chemical properties. It can signal a moment of relaxation, a celebration or belonging to a group. During a meal or an evening, accepting a drink sometimes becomes an expected gesture before even wondering if you want to drink. This social dimension helps to understand why quitting often requires changing habits and preparing your response to suggestions.

Familiarity with the product can also reduce the perception of its risks. A drink linked to gastronomy or family memories does not always resemble, in representations, a psychoactive substance. However, ethanol remains the same active ingredient in wine, beer and spirits. We can preserve the meal, the conviviality and the ritual of a pleasant drink by choosing to no longer associate alcohol with it.

The myth of the healthy glass of wine

The “French paradox” helped to popularize the idea that moderate wine consumption would protect the heart: certain observations linked relatively low coronary mortality in France to dietary habits that were nevertheless rich in saturated fats. Wine was offered as a possible explanation. A hypothesis resulting from comparisons between populations thus fueled the shortcut of the daily drink presented as a health gesture.

The problem is that the groups being compared differ in many other ways. Moderate consumers may have different habits or living conditions; abstainers may include former drinkers who quit due to illness. These biases make an association difficult to interpret as protection caused by alcohol. A meta-analysis of 107 studies published in 2023 does not find a significant drop in mortality among small consumers after adjusting for several biases.

This does not mean that every cardiovascular issue is definitively resolved, but it does not justify prescribing a daily glass of wine. Even a discussed benefit on one indicator would not eliminate other risks, particularly those of cancer. Wine polyphenols do not neutralize ethanol and do not require drinking to be present in the diet. The recommendation of this sheet therefore remains the judgment.

Expectancy: what we expect to feel

In psychology, alcohol expectancy effects refer to the influence of what we believe alcohol will produce. A person who associates drinking with relaxation, confidence, or sociability enters the situation with these expectations. They can guide one’s attention, feelings and certain behaviors. The context of the evening and the implicit permission to relax also contribute to the experience.

To separate these components, experiments cross-reference the real content of the drink with what the participants think they are receiving: alcohol or placebo. They allow us to study the effect of the substance and that of waiting. Results vary depending on tasks and situations; believing you have drunk can modify behavior, but also push someone to control themselves more to compensate for the effect they anticipate.

It would therefore be wrong to conclude that drunkenness is entirely psychological. Ethanol actually acts on the brain, coordination and judgment; waiting does not neutralize either blood alcohol or toxicity. The practical interest is more modest: certain experiences attributed to glass also depend on the ritual and the social framework. It’s a reason to explore another way of relaxing or participating in an evening, without guaranteeing the same feeling.

Current issues go beyond extreme consumption

Public health is no longer only interested in episodes of drunkenness and dependent people. The risks also concern repeated consumption which is considered ordinary, particularly for cancer. The WHO reminds that no level of consumption is completely risk-free in this regard. This does not mean that a single drink will necessarily cause illness, but that a small amount cannot be presented as a universal protective dose.

The issues also include accidents, dependence, social consequences and inequalities in exposure. Informing, making aid accessible and limiting situations that encourage heavy consumption are complementary responses. For the individual, choosing not to drink allows for an escape from constant negotiation over the acceptable dose, while preparing for a supported cessation when physical dependence requires it.

Among young people, a basic decline which remains fragile

French survey data provide one country-specific example, not a worldwide estimate. In ESCAPAD, the share of 17-year-olds who had ever drunk alcohol fell from 85.7% in 2017 to 80.6% in 2022. Regular use, defined in that survey as at least ten drinking occasions in the month, fell from 8.4% to 7.2%. These findings concern that age group, those years and that survey definition; they should not be generalized to all young people.

Public Health France mentions several developments: different modes of sociability, increased attention to risks, parental vigilance and a more visible place for sobriety or non-alcoholic drinks. These are avenues for understanding the trend, not a single demonstrated cause. Refusing a drink may become more common, but habits still differ depending on groups and occasions.

The most recent results, however, prevent us from reporting a continuous and acquired decline. EnCLASS 2024, published in February 2026, observes a rebound in alcohol experimentation between 2022 and 2024 among secondary school students, after the previous decline. Experimenting with a drink and consuming it regularly are two different indicators. The long-term trend remains interesting, but unfortunately it does not mean the disappearance of alcohol among young people nor an irreversible development.