Until 1956, many French children aged 6 to 14 attending school were served diluted wine on their lunch breaks. This practice was influenced by cultural norms and regional variations, with wine prevalent in wine-producing regions, cider in Normandy and Brittany, and beer in northern areas.
In addition to wine served at school, parents sometimes included alcoholic drinks like wine, cider, or beer in their child’s packed lunch. However, it was ultimately up to each school’s discretion whether to allow alcohol sales in cafeterias.
While it’s true that children consumed alcohol, it was typically in smaller, diluted quantities rather than the exaggerated claim of four glasses a day. School policies regarding alcohol varied, and by 1956, public health reforms led to laws prohibiting the serving of alcohol in French schools, though that ban only applied to children under 14.
As surprising as it may seem, it was not until September 1981, shortly after the election of François Mitterrand, that alcoholic beverages were definitively banned from high schools.
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