howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
from the guardian.
The French call it le binge drinking and consider it one of the more obnoxious imports from across the Channel.
Now officials in Lyon have introduced a night time ban on retail sales of alcohol to combat what is seen as a nasty Anglo-Saxon habit sweeping France.
From Monday, shops throughout the city will be banned from selling alcohol between 10pm and 6am in an effort to limit public drunkenness. The ban will not apply to bars, restaurants or nightclubs.
Until five years ago, the French viewed binge drinking as a phenomenon largely limited to the UK and Scandinavian countries.
This is reflected by the use of the English term, which is widespread and appears not to have been censored by the Académie Française, the body guarding the French language. The official translation is intoxication alcoolique aigue (severe alcoholic intoxication).
Now, France is being forced to admit it has a growing problem. The French national institute for health education (INPES) has launched a campaign called BoireTrop (OverDrink) to warn of the dangers of excessive drinking. INPES says alcohol is responsible for about 45,000 deaths in France every year.
A World Health Organisation report in 2010 showed the French to be the fourth biggest consumers of alcohol in Europe, based on 2005 figures, behind Estonia, the Czech Republic and Ireland. Britain was 13th
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
I would dispute that translation. Severe alcoholic intoxication is not binge drinking but its result. They are translating cause into effect. The Romans used to binge drink but would induce vomiting when they started feeling tipsy, in order to pause for a wench or three before starting to drink again. Result: mild to moderate intoxication, not severe.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 703- Registered: 30 Jul 2010
- Posts: 2,096
Sounds like a monthly Roman Night at Blakes, wenches supplied, would go down well!
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
no change that the french government drag up the anglo saxon thing to deflect the fact that their society is having great problems that can only be laid at their own door.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
sure is howard with all that cheap plock oops sorry wine.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
not so cheap anymore brian, the strength of the euro against the pound puts paid to that.
rather ironic that we send countries our pounds to prop up the euro.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
not if we had the euro for currency in the first place,as for the pound proping up the euro i think its the other way round at the moment.