Authorities in Paris have banned the sale and public consumption of alcohol to ease the burden on hospitals during a record-breaking heat wave.
The prohibition, effective Friday, applies to public spaces but allows consumption at outdoor restaurant and bar seating. The sale of take-home alcohol is also suspended.
"We are reaching a saturation point in hospital facilities," said Paris Police Chief Patrice Faure. "The number of hospitalizations keeps increasing."
At least 55 people have drowned across France recently seeking relief from the heat. The Netherlands issued its first-ever red heat alert Friday, with temperatures forecast to exceed 100°F.
A study from the World Weather Attribution organization states human-caused climate change is "unequivocally" responsible for the heat wave's intensity. Scientists warn such events are now ten times more likely than in 2003, and a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels is critical.