Paris restricts alcohol consumption and sales as European heat wave moves Eastward

©Juan Ordonez via Unsplash

Paris is temporarily banning the consumption of alcohol in public spaces and takeout sales, as the heat wave plaguing large parts of Western Europe slowly shifts eastward. This measure is intended to ease the strain on hospitals in the French capital.

Paris takes action

Starting Friday afternoon, French authorities are making it more difficult for Parisians to drink alcohol in public. A ban will be in effect from 12:00 p.m. on Friday until 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, and the same time window will apply from Saturday to Sunday. A separate restriction applies to the sale of alcohol for takeout: it is prohibited from 6:00 p.m. on Friday until 7:00 a.m. on Saturday and again from 6:00 p.m. on Saturday until 7:00 a.m. on Sunday. Restaurants and cafés with table service remain exempt from the rule.

According to Police Chief Patrice Faure, hospital services in Paris are nearing capacity. The measure is intended to help limit the number of additional hospital admissions as the city is in the midst of a record heat wave.

Heat shifts eastward

While France is still reeling from the exceptional heat, the worst of the heat is shifting eastward. Germany is bracing for temperatures up to 40 degrees on Friday, and warnings of unusual heat have also been issued in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Croatia.

Meanwhile, new records have been broken in France. Météo-France reported that the average minimum temperature reached 22 degrees on Wednesday evening, while Nantes in the northwest recorded 27.2 degrees. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu raised the health alert level to its highest level to deploy additional hospital staff and better protect vulnerable people.

Health risks

Authorities warn that not only the elderly but also young people are at risk. French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said that cardiac arrests are also being diagnosed in young people. According to her, emergency services in Paris treated four times as many patients in a 24-hour period as usual.

Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire urged residents to adjust their behavior and not to act as if they were invulnerable. Exercising in the heat—even running or cycling—can be dangerous if temperatures remain high for days on end.

UN warning

UN climate chief Simon Stiell said the European heat wave “clearly bears the fingerprint of the climate crisis” and called for a faster transition to renewable energy, forest conservation, and greater climate resilience.

©Juan Ordonez via Unsplash