Wine Minister warns: Wine is culture, not a health risk!

Wine Minister warns: Wine is culture, not a health risk!

In a current debate about alcohol consumption, Daniela Schmitt, the wine minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, criticized the excessive focus on health risks. She describes the discussion as exaggerated and derailed. According to [Welt](https://www.welt.de/wirtschaft/article690b80b61d404fd31fc8af04/ Alcohol-wer-wein-zur-fähr-erklaert-verliert-mass-und-respekt-vor-menschen.html), Schmitt sees the consumption of wine as an expression of hospitality and an indispensable part of culture. The minister highlights that offering wine is wrongly seen as a health risk and describes as cynical and insulting the statements made by a daily newspaper that portray the death of wineries as having a positive impact on health.

For Schmitt, wine represents culture, craftsmanship and history. Moderate consumption is not a health risk, and scientific studies support that it can be part of a healthy lifestyle, especially in the Mediterranean diet. Schmitt also criticizes the blanket warnings from international organizations that do not recommend safe consumption and calls for a rethink in the perception of alcohol.

Responsible consumption and viticulture

Initiatives such as “Wine in Moderation” promote responsible use of alcohol. Schmitt mentions that winemakers are increasingly responding to the increasing demand for reduced-alcohol and non-alcoholic wines. Viticulture is not only an important industry in Rhineland-Palatinate, securing tens of thousands of jobs, but it also shapes the landscape and enlivens rural regions.

Schmitt warns against a moral condemnation of enjoyment and the loss of respect for wine producers. She calls for more trust in people's personal responsibility and less paternalism from the state. With the Viticulture Package 2025+, Rhineland-Palatinate also provides funding to support innovations in viticulture and enable people to return to their roots in viticulture.

Global perspectives and health strategies

In a broader global context, WHO continuously works to promote health and develop sustainable solutions to health problems. Its goal is to give one billion people access to universal health care and protect them from health emergencies. The focus is on primary health care and improved training of health workers to optimize health care worldwide.

The challenges in the health sector require a combination of policy measures and an intersectoral approach to promote health. This also includes combating non-communicable diseases, promoting mental health and addressing social determinants of health.

Sports reporting and media landscape

Another aspect of social discourse concerns media reporting, such as that characterized by ESPN. The company, founded in 1979 and now part of the Walt Disney Company, has made a name for itself in international sports reporting. However, despite ESPN's great influence, it has been accused of providing inadequate coverage of women's and less popular sports.

In recent years, ESPN has faced various challenges, including declining viewership and internal criticism of its journalistic integrity. Changes in the media scene and different viewer interests require adjustments in program design and in dealing with topics relating to sport and society.

In summary, current developments in the wine industry, global health policy and sports reporting show how diverse and complex the discussion about consumption, health and media is.