A respected medical researcher specialising in alcohol-related conditions has told people in Stoke-on-Trent they should stop boozing as the UK heatwave intensifies. The warning comes as the UK is set to bake in temperatures of up to 40C over the coming days.
And, according to Dr Tony Rao, says ale and gin lovers should completely abstain until it cools down later this week. As a diuretic, alcohol makes drinkers urinate more and interferes with the body's ability to rehydrate.
In high heat, that means an increased risk of heatstroke, which "represents a medical emergency", says Dr Rao, who is a visiting clinical research fellow at King's College, London. In 2020, Stoke-on-Trent had the highest rate of admissions into hospital for conditions related to alcohol abuse.
Dr Rao said: “There is a serious risk to health for drinkers during the heatwave. The main problems come from the effect of alcohol on the kidneys and on blood pressure.
"Alcohol stops fluid from bring properly put back into the bloodstream after blood is filtered by the kidneys. This means a serious risk of dehydration.
"Alcohol also lowers blood pressure. If you put these together, there is a higher risk of heatstroke, which represents a medical emergency.
"The best advice would be not to drink alcohol at all during the heatwave. In addition, drink between 1.6 and 2 litres (of water) a day. That’s between eight and 10 glasses (200ml) per day - as well as following other guidance on staying properly hydrated during the heatwave."
Some delicious refreshments you can have which don't have any booze
Luckily there are also lots of delicious and refreshing drinks you can enjoy which don't contain any alcohol. Here are a few of our suggestions.
Homemade Ginger Beer
If you fancy trying something homemade, making ginger beer at home can be a fun family activity. As a bonus you get a delicious drink at the end.
A classic Indian drink for a hot day made with chilled yoghurt and milk. Popular flavours can include mango, cumin, rosewater, or salt if you fancy something more savoury.
Cucumber and mint spritz
Few things are more refreshing than cucumber on a hot day. This is a great way to cool off, just smash up some fresh cucumber and mint, add lots of ice and a squeeze of lemon and top it up with fizzy water.
If you need some caffeine to get going in the morning but can't face a hot coffee, then iced coffee could be a good solution. Don't overdo it though as caffeine can also be a diuretic.
There is now a wide selection of alcohol-free spirits available in supermarkets. These can be gins, whiskies, and even tequila with no alcohol, you can even get "No-secco", prosecco with no booze.
If you absolutely can't resist a beer there are several options with no booze that are almost as good. There are things like Brewdog's Nanny State, as well as several pale ale and German weissbeer options.