Paris Bans Public Drinking and Restricts Sales as European Heat Wave Intensifies

Passersby are enjoying a water fountain installed on Rudolfplatz in downtown Cologne as part of the city’s “Cooling Cologne” heat relief initiative. Germany, Spain, France and Italy are among the hardest hit by the record-breaking European heatwave. (Photo: Henning Kaiser/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

Parisian authorities have announced a ban on public drinking and takeaway alcohol sales amid a record-breaking heat wave expected to peak at 38°C (100°F) this weekend.

The decree restricts drinking alcohol in public from noon on Friday until 7 am on Saturday, with the same hours slated to be enforced from Saturday to Sunday. The ban on takeaway alcohol sales will have a slightly narrower window, taking effect from 6 pm until 7 am throughout the weekend.

On Thursday, Paris police chief Patrice ​Faure told BFM TV that the restrictions aim “to prevent people from trying to quench their thirst during the heatwave with alcoholic beverages, which can have adverse effects.” He added that the city is already “reaching a saturation point in hospital facilities.”

Over the past month, Western Europe has grappled with devastating temperatures that have peaked as high as 43.8°C (110.8°F) in towns like Palluau. The so-called “Omega” heat wave is currently taking its sharpest toll on France, Spain, Germany, Italy and areas in the southern U.K, where temperatures have reached a 50-year high. The timing is particularly unfortunate, coinciding with a time of celebration as much of the continent is knee-deep in World Cup and Pride Month festivities.

French authorities have reported at least 40 heat-wave-related drownings over the past week, while Paris today recorded 55 deaths in a single 24-hour period, over five times the city’s typical daily death rate of 10.

“Mortality is on the rise,” Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire told TF1 on Thursday. “It is extremely difficult. The situation is, in some respects, quite critical.”

Restricting booze sales has been a top priority for local officials. On Monday, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu banned alcohol consumption at the annual Fête de la Musique celebrations and other public events in 35 regions placed under the country’s extreme heat advisory. Health officials warn that alcohol can accelerate dehydration, raising the risk of heatstroke and cardiac arrest.

Historical landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum have adjusted operating hours accordingly, and the annual Pride March and Solidays musical festival scheduled to take place this weekend in Paris have been asked to postpone.