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France does have a drink problem, survey reveals

France regards itself as a nation which knows how to take its drink, unlike, say, the Scandinavians or the British. But a hard-hitting report presented to the government suggested the entire country is in a state of alcoholic denial.

One in 10 French people has a drink problem, the report says. Every day, five people die of alcohol-linked accidents or diseases in France.

The semi-official study undermines an argument used by the Blair government for extending Britain’s pub opening hours. Spreading drinking over a longer period, as France does, does not necessarily reduce alcohol-related social ills.

Opinion: What's Wrong with Europe?

Mayor Claude Dilain sits on the edge of his chair in his community’s wedding banquet hall. His hands are folded on the table in front of him, and his face is a tortured reflection of the doubts and fears inside him.

For the past 10 years, Claude Dilain, 57, has been the mayor of Clichy-sous-Bois, a suburb in northeastern Paris with 28,100 inhabitants, mostly immigrants. Dilain calls it “a powder keg.” He slightly resembles the French author Michel Houellebecq, but today he is paler than even the author normally is. The strain of the last few nights is no doubt part of it. But so too is a growing suspicion — that the modern welfare state may be fully incapable of addressing some of his community’s most pressing problems.

French Government Tourist Office: Everything is being done to ensure that tourists coming to discover our country have a safe an

Tuesday, November 8, 2005

Everything is being done to ensure that tourists coming to discover our country have a safe and enjoyable stay.
The French Government Tourist Office would like to point out that no tourist areas were affected by the incidents and that tourists can visit France without concern.

French Government measures to re-establish order and calm in affected suburbs.

Several immediate measures have been announced on November 7, 2005 by the Prime Minister of France in response to recent events:

Riots: What travelers to France should do

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