Paris is expected to move forward with a ban on alcohol consumption Paris is expected to impose a ban on alcohol consumption as a measure against the heatwave, given that hospitals are beginning to be overwhelmed by admissions.

“We are reaching a saturation point in hospital facilities, and I must ensure that the pressure is reduced,” said the Paris police chief, Patrice Four, warning that the new measures—which include not only a ban on consumption of alcohol as well as its sale, were necessary to halt the rise in hospitalizations.

French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist stated, according to guardian.com that within a 24-hour period, four times as many cardiac arrests as usual have been recorded, and it is noteworthy, according to the same source, that many young people also suffered cardiac arrests.

When does the ban take effect?

The ban on alcohol consumption in public spaces begins at noon on Friday (June 26) and lasts until 7 a.m. on Saturday (June 27, and the ban will be in effect during the same hours from next Saturday through Sunday. The ban does not apply to restaurants and cafes with seating areas for the public. The sale of alcohol for takeout will be prohibited from 6 p.m. on Friday until 7 a.m. on Saturday, and again from 6 p.m. on Saturday until 7 a.m. on Sunday.

Series of measures

Paris authorities have implemented a series of measures to help the city’s 2 million residents cope with the situation. The sale of alcohol at certain public events has already been banned, many schools have closed, and parks remain open 24 hours a day.

The Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, two of the world’s most visited tourist attractions, reduced their operating hours earlier this week due to the scorching heat.

Two nuclear reactors taken offline

Two nuclear reactors in France were taken offline on Thursday, to prevent the discharge of excessive amounts of hot water into rivers that are already warming up due to the heat wave that is breaking every record.

Earlier this week, soaring temperatures caused the death of hundreds of thousands of birds at poultry farms in Brittany and the Pays de la Loire region.

France is expected to face at least several more days of sweltering heat.