Quenching thirst with beer? There is no safe amount of alcohol

As summer temperatures rise and the allure of refreshing beverages like beer and cocktails grows, experts are sounding a critical warning: there is no safe level of alcohol consumption, particularly when exposed to heat. Health authorities emphasize that high temperatures, sun exposure, or physical activity exacerbate the risks of drinking alcohol.

The National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) and the Slovenian Society for Chronic and Non-Communicable Diseases advise that consuming alcohol in hot weather is inherently risky. Alcohol acts as a diuretic, increasing fluid loss from the body. Furthermore, it impairs judgment and perception, potentially leading individuals to stay in the sun too long, overexert themselves physically, or neglect adequate water intake. Crucially, alcohol diminishes the body's ability to detect the early warning signs of heat-related illness and to take timely action.

While emergency services like the UKC Ljubljana and ZD Ljubljana do not maintain specific statistics for alcohol-related heat emergencies, they acknowledge that symptoms such as collapse, headaches, and vomiting are common during heatwaves. They note that these issues also occur during cooler periods, making it difficult to isolate the exact impact of alcohol combined with heat. However, they estimate that the number of such cases is not significantly different from previous years, even during last summer's pronounced heatwaves.

Beyond alcoholic beverages, even sugary non-alcoholic options like radler are not ideal for hydration in the heat. While they contribute to fluid intake, they often come with a high sugar content. A recent market review indicated that a half-liter can of radler can contain around seven teaspoons of sugar. Both the NIJZ and the Slovenian Society for Chronic and Non-Communicable Diseases stress that the key factor is the amount of pure alcohol consumed, regardless of the type of drink, be it wine, beer, cocktails, or spirits. They reiterate that there is only drinking with lower or higher risk, not safe drinking. The more one consumes, the greater the risk to themselves and others.