Government campaign against excessive drinking, but wine trade is busy

“Then you are talking about breast cancer, for example. They are not super big risks, but they do start with one glass a day.” Research by the Trimbos Institute shows that most Dutch people do not know that alcohol increases the risk of cancer, dementia or miscarriage.

According to State Secretary Blokhuis, the ‘Dranquilo’ campaign is not intended to point the finger, but to make people more aware. In the National Prevention Agreement it had already been agreed that awareness of the use of alcohol and knowledge of the effects must be increased. The percentage of excessive and heavy drinkers should be reduced.

Time and money

Being highly educated people over 65 the most often excessive drinkers, as already emerged from the Health Survey / Lifestyle Monitor of the CBS, RIVM and Trimbos Institute. “If people have a lot of time and money and are also very social, then you see the alcohol consumption increase enormously”, says Van Hasselt.

“I just keep it tidy. Not too much during the week, anyway,” says a customer of the wine buyer in Amersfoort. “I know that too much is not good, but that’s with everything right?”.

Another is more careful. “Sometimes I don’t drink. I haven’t drank for two months after the holiday. Last year I didn’t even for four months.”

In some periods it quickly becomes too much, he knows. “In the summer holidays, especially when you are in Italy, for example. At lunch, in the evening: it just goes on and on. Then it becomes very normal, and if it is normal you don’t taste it anymore.” He then stops drinking for a while with his wife. “If you reduce the amount for a while, it tastes good again.”

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