Paris sets up ban on drinking alcohol in public to deal with heatwave

French authorities warned people to adapt their daily routines to avoid overheating

The French Health Minister Stephanie Rist told a press conference they are started to see an increase in people going to emergency wards.

Parisians will ‌be banned from drinking alcohol in public from midday onwards ​on Friday in order ​to try and curb the health ⁠issues arising from the heatwave ​gripping France and much of ​Europe, the head of the Paris police said on Thursday.

"I will publish ​an edict this evening ​which will ban the consumption of ‌alcohol ⁠in public from tomorrow midday onwards. As you know, drinking alcohol with the sun ​beating down ​can ⁠have a devastating effect," Paris police chief Patrice ​Faure told BFM TV.

He ​added ⁠there would also be a ban on the sale ⁠of ​alcoholic products from ​Friday evening onwards in Paris.

This comes as the temperature in Britain and Switzerland hit record highs for June on Thursday as large parts of Western Europe were in the grip of a deadly early summer heatwave that has killed dozens, ​disrupted power supplies and shut schools and cultural landmarks.

French and British authorities warned people to adapt their daily routines to avoid overheating, and the head of the Paris police said there would be ‌a ban on drinking alcohol in public from Friday midday onwards, as the city's hospitals struggled to deal with patients suffering from the heatwave.

"We are just at the start of seeing an increase in people going to emergency wards," French Health Minister Stephanie Rist told a press conference.