As summer approaches, VAD/De Druglijn is relaunching and expanding its campaign “Is het altijd alcoholtijd?” (“Is it always alcohol time?”). The campaign questions the everyday presence of alcohol in social life and highlights a changing attitude among many people in Flanders. More and more Flemish people say they want to think more carefully about their alcohol use, including during the summer months, when social occasions and holiday routines often make alcohol feel like the default choice.

The campaign is part of Belgium’s Interfederal Plan 2023-2025 to combat harmful alcohol use, which includes the aim of strengthening “not drinking alcohol” as a social norm among the general population. VAD/De Druglijn links the campaign to findings from Sciensano’s 2025 Prevention Barometer, where 38% of Flemish people who drank alcohol in the past year said they planned to drink less in the coming twelve months, without necessarily stopping completely. The campaign does not tell people what to do, but helps them reflect on when alcohol fits a situation, and when it may not.

Under the slogan “Is it always alcohol time?”, the campaign shows familiar situations where alcohol is often taken for granted. A beer while watching a youth football match, sparkling wine during a maternity visit where the new mother cannot drink, wine at a work reception just before an important meeting, or local beers during a cycling trip meant to support health. According to Tom Evenepoel, coordinator of De Druglijn, these are situations many people will recognize, but they also raise a question: is alcohol really as self-evident in these moments as it may seem?

The new campaign material also focuses on a typical summer barbecue, where guests often arrive with alcohol and the table quickly fills with bottles. De Druglijn notes that holidays can be a time when people drink significantly more than usual, even when they had planned to be careful. The campaign invites people to draw their own lines: does a barbecue with friends really require beer, and does a summer evening only feel complete with wine? Its point is not that people cannot enjoy an aperitif on holiday, but that enjoyment does not automatically have to mean alcohol. By making that choice more conscious, the campaign encourages a healthier relationship with alcohol, also during the summer.

Find more from VAD (Belgium, June 2026)