Did Paris just ban alcohol consumption and sales? What's the truth
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Did Paris just ban alcohol consumption and sales? What's the truth")
Youths cool down in the waters of the Canal Saint-Martin as France experiences a heatwave Photograph: (AFP)
Paris has temporarily banned public drinking and takeaway alcohol sales as hospitals struggle under a deadly heatwave. With temperatures topping 40°C, authorities reported a surge in cardiac arrests, while the Eiffel Tower and Louvre cut opening hours
Amid heatwave gripping France and much of Europe, the French government has decided to temporarily ban the drinking of alcohol in public places and its sales after 6PM. The French Police said that hospitals in the capital are “reaching saturation point”, with the French government adding that the step would decrease pressure on hospitals as well as cardiac arrest risks. At least 48 people have died in France from drowning since the start of the heatwave, and three young children have been killed by heat in cars.
What we know about the ban?
The public drinking ban begins at noon on Friday (June 26) and lasts until 7am Saturday (June 27). The ban again begins at the same hours from Saturday (June 27) to Sunday (June 28). Takeaway alcohol sales are also banned from 6pm on June 26 to 7am June 27, and again 6pm June 27 to 7am on June 28. The ban does not include restaurants and cafes with public seating areas. Drinking inside residential homes or private venues also faces no restrictions. The step comes at the backdrop of Paris hitting a June record of 40.9C this week. The Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, earlier this week cut their opening hours because of the scorching heat.
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Why Parisians flock to open spaces to tackle heat?
The step is important as Parisians flock to open public spaces specifically to escape the heat, because air conditioning is rare in standard Parisian apartments. Locals treat outdoor spaces as their living rooms during severe heatwaves. The city officially ordered major public parks to remain open 24 hours a day so residents could find cooler air overnight.
A local habit clash with weather leads to pressure on hospitals. French people have a habit of sipping wine, beer, in summer time. With rising temperatures, alcohol drinking becomes deadly. Alcohol forces the body to lose fluids rapidly when it needs them most to sweat.
The French health minister, Stéphanie Rist, said that the ambulance service in Paris had reported four times more cardiac arrests than normal over a 24-hour period. Young people were also suffering cardiac arrests, she added. “We are reaching a saturation point in hospital facilities. I must ensure that the pressure decreases,” the head of Paris police, Patrice Faure, said, warning that the new measures, which include a ban on alcohol takeaway sales, were needed to stem increasing hospitalisations.
