Alcohol consumption is high in France, so it is important to estimate alcohol-attributable mortality by sex and age according to alcohol intake. Method. Survey and sales data were used to estimate the distribution of alcohol consumption in the population by sex and age. For each cause of death whose risk is modified by alcohol consumption, a risk function was derived from a recent meta-analysis. By combining data on consumption prevalence and risks, the fractions of mortality attributable to alcohol were calculated; these fractions multiplied by the corresponding numbers of deaths yield the number of deaths attributable to alcohol. Results. In France, in 2009, 36,500 deaths were attributable to alcohol among men (13% of total mortality) and 12,500 among women (5% of total mortality). This includes 15,000 deaths from cancer, 12,000 from cardiovascular disease, 8,000 from digestive diseases, 8,000 from external causes, and 3,000 from mental and behavioral disorders. The proportions attributable to alcohol are 22% in the 15–34 age group, 18% in the 35–64 age group, and 7% in those aged 65 and older. Alcohol is harmful even at the relatively moderate dose of 13 grams per day, which causes 1,100 deaths annually. Conclusion. With 49,000 deaths attributable to alcohol out of a total of 535,000 deaths in 2009, the health damage is considerable, and the harmful effect exists even at low doses. Alcohol is responsible for a significant proportion of premature mortality. These findings underscore the importance of public health policies aimed at reducing alcohol consumption in France. (R.A.)