Heatwave and Music Festival: Health Minister calls for moderation in alcohol consumption

Faced with this "heatwave coming at us from the west" , the Minister of Health, Yannick Neuder, called on the French on Saturday, June 21, to hydrate themselves and moderate their alcohol consumption, insisting on "the essential rules: do not expose yourself to the heat, particularly between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., hydrate yourself and drink water (...) cover up, wear hats, caps, cream" .

"This evening there will be the music festival , we must moderate our alcohol consumption, especially when it is hot," he added during a visit to the Henri-Mondor Hospital in Créteil (Val-de-Marne).

Beyond this weekend, "we're going to have a scorching summer (...) we're talking about a difference of more than 10 degrees compared to the same period" (...) municipalities must organize themselves" to go and see "the elderly, the disabled."

The most vulnerable people must be able to find "cool spaces, islands of coolness" , "air-conditioned rooms which are made available" by certain municipalities, in particular libraries or media libraries.

To avoid overcrowding in emergency rooms, the Minister of Health called for a solution to be found upstream, particularly with the attending physician, before going to the hospital, which must remain "the last resort" .

"It is by working together that we can ensure that France survives this heatwave," said Yannick Neuder. Nearly 3,700 deaths linked to the heatwave were recorded last year, "we must show solidarity."

• Heat wave
• Alcohol and alcoholism
• Hospital