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

A sign reading 'During intense heat protect yourself' is seen inside an air-conditioned room open to the public inside the 17th district city hall as temperatures rise in Paris, during a heatwave affecting a majority of the country, in France, June 25, 2026. REUTERS/Alice Sacco

PARIS, June ⁠25 (Reuters) - 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.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Chris Reese)