Going dry: Belgium launches annual alcohol-free campaign on 1 February

While some countries are saying goodbye to Dry January, Belgium launches its own sobriety challenge Tournée Minérale on 1 February.

The 9th edition of the awareness-raising drive invites citizens to take a break from alcohol during the shortest month of the year. Some 1.5m Belgians are expected to participate.

First initiated by the Cancer Foundation in 2016, the campaign aims to help people cut their alcohol intake. The focus this year is on the ‘treatment gap’ between patients suffering from alcohol-related disorders and those receiving appropriate care.

It estimates that 20 to 25% of adult patients who consult their GP are suffering from alcohol misuse, yet only 8% receive help with their consumption.

That’s why the nonprofit Univers santé running the annual health initiative is targetting frontline doctors. "Alcohol misuse exposes people to more than 200 diseases, not to mention the social damage - sexual and family violence, precariousness, etc," explains its director and alcohologist Martin de Duve.

Tournée Minérale conducted street interviews in several French-speaking cities about the alcohol-free month. Their spontaneous and sometimes funny reactions are being broadcast from the end of January on its website and social media channels. “They highlight the diversity of points of view and embody the Belgian spirit,” it says.

An incentive competition has been running since16 January giving participants the opportunity to win one of 500 reusable water bottles. In addition to practical advice, the website provides 0% alcohol recipes to also incite people to reduce their alcohol intake.

Facts & figures

• €4.2 to €6 billion per year: The cost of alcohol misuse in Belgium
• Sleep disorders increase vulnerability to addiction, while alcohol reduces quality of sleep
• Young adults aged 20 to 39 are particularly affected: In 2019, this age group recorded the highest share (13%) of deaths linked to alcohol consumption
• Even at low levels, consumption of 1 to 1.5 units of alcohol per day is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer
• Alcohol is the second leading cause of preventable death, just behind tobacco, with nearly 10,000 deaths per year in Belgium, or 10% of total mortality

In Flanders, the alcohol-free campaign is run by VAD /de Druglijn.

Belgian zero-alcohol drinks

More brands and breweries are turning to 0.0%, reports RTBF, which has selected some local products currently on the zero- or low-alcohol market.

The L’Annexe brewery in Saint-Gilles makes not only beer, but also fermented lemonades (pictured), flavoured with elderflower, lemon, blueberry, ginger and quince. “These are drinks with character,” says co-founder Grégoire Berthon. “They are adult drinks that provide refreshment but are also very pleasant to drink.”

Another brewer specialised in fermentation is the start-up Smile Kombucha In Woluwe-Saint-Lambert. It produces organic craft Kombucha teas using a culture of bacteria and yeast called a scoby. The antioxidant drinks come in an original version, as well as ginger and goji botanical flavours.

Simone a Soif! is a well-known Belgian brand of organic lemonade products with no added sugars or additives. The Schaerbeek company, launched in 2016, operates in an artisanal and short circuit way, making its drinks with local and seasonal fruits and vegetables.

It is also the first Belgian soft drink brand to receive the B Corporation certificate. "The label recognised the naturalness of Simone a Soif! products. The certificate is a guarantee of quality and proves that we do not do greenwashing," insists co-founder Alexandre Van Der Vaeren.

Considered one of the leaders in alcohol-free products in the world, Univers Drink launched its first product Night Orient bubbly some 14 years ago. Since then, the Liège company has expanded its offering with spirits, wines and mocktails.

“We see that consumers buying our products are not exclusively consumers of alcohol-free products,” chief executive Arnaud Jacquemin told RTC Liège. "We see that these people will continue to consume alcohol but that from time to time, they will turn to a Mojito or an alcohol-free wine," he pointed out.

La bière des Amis diversified into alcohol-free products some 11 years ago. The company, based in Herve in Liège province, makes wine and spirits as well as beer. It has honed its techniques over the years to offer quality products, according to managing director Anne Stassen.  

"Due to the growing demand, companies have had no choice but to improve and come up with new, much higher quality alternatives," she says. "We are no longer dealing with very sweet beers, we have reached a balance and alternatives that replicate or are as equivalent as the basic alcoholic beverage."

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