Paris is banning the consumption of alcoholic drinks in public spaces and takeaway alcohol sales as the city grapples with an intense heatwave.
Drinking in public spaces in the French capital is prohibited as of midday CET today (26 June) until 07:00 CET tomorrow, a decree from the local police headquarters said.
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The ban resumes again for the same time period on Saturday until Sunday morning.
The sale of takeaway alcoholic drinks has also been banned on Saturday and Sunday from 18:00 until 07:00.
Speaking to local news broadcaster BFMTV yesterday evening (25 June), Patrice Faure, the Paris police prefect, said he was publishing the decree in order to reduce the pressure on the city’s emergency and hospital care systems.
Faure said the restrictions aim “to prevent people from trying to quench their thirst during the heatwave with alcoholic beverages, which can have adverse effects”.
Restaurants and bars holding the required permits will not be affected by the move.
Reports from BMFTV this morning also suggest France’s interior minister Laurent Nuñez has recommended that other prefects in the country follow Paris’s ban.
Météo-France, the national meteorological agency, put all departments in the Île-de France region under a red heatwave alert last weekend. This has stayed in place for many departments, including Paris this week.
Parts of Paris saw temperatures reach close to 41°C this week and the high temperatures have forced public attractions such as the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower to reduce their opening hours.
The city faced a similar public consumption and sales ban last weekend during the country’s annual Fête de la Musique celebration.
The Paris police HQ has also banned all sporting events in the city. Earlier this morning, it issued a press release calling for all organisers to cancel upcoming large-scale protests and cultural events that are due to happen this weekend, such as the Pride march.
