Parisians will be temporarily banned from drinking alcohol in public as hospitals in the capital buckle under a deadly heatwave gripping France and much of Europe. The ban takes effect at noon on Friday, with police chief Patrice Faure warning that hospital facilities are reaching saturation point.
Record Temperatures and Health Emergency
Temperatures in Paris hit a June record of 40.9C (105.6F) on Wednesday, a day after France recorded its hottest day since records began nearly 80 years ago. On Thursday, temperatures pushed close to 40C. The French health minister, Stéphanie Rist, reported that the ambulance service in Paris had recorded four times more cardiac arrests than normal over a 24-hour period, including among young people.
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.
Alcohol Ban Details
The public drinking ban begins at noon on Friday and lasts until 7am Saturday, then repeats from Saturday to Sunday. It does not apply to restaurants and cafes with public seating areas. Takeaway alcohol sales will be banned from 6pm Friday to 7am Saturday, and again 6pm Saturday to 7am Sunday.
Patrice Faure, the head of Paris police, said on Thursday: “We are reaching a saturation point in hospital facilities. I must ensure that the pressure decreases.”
Broader Impact and Measures
Paris officials have implemented a series of measures to help its 2 million residents cope, including banning alcohol sales at some public events, closing many schools, and keeping parks open around the clock. The Eiffel Tower and the Louvre have cut their opening hours due to the scorching heat.
More than 44 million people in France, out of a total population of 67 million, have been under the highest red alert for heat this week. Two nuclear reactors were shut down on Thursday to avoid discharging too much hot water into rivers already warming in the record-breaking heatwave. Earlier this week, soaring temperatures killed hundreds of thousands of birds at poultry farms in Brittany and the Pays de la Loire.
France is forecast to face at least several more days of stifling heat.
