‘Don’t let the celebration become a medical emergency’: England fans warned ahead of World Cup game in heatwave
Health chiefs have issued stern warnings to England fans as the country prepares to be sweltered by extreme heat ahead of Saturday’s World Cup match.
Thomas Tuchel’s men will face Panama in New Jersey and hope to secure their place in the round of 36 in style.
But with the match not due to start until 10pm, doctors have warned fans could risk dehydration, fainting or even heatstroke after drinking all day in the scorching sunshine.
Private practitioner and medical director of Prestige Private Health, Dr. Wesley Tensel said the combination of hot weather and alcohol “can drive people away.”
He explained that in addition to losing fluid from our bodies through sweating in hot weather, alcohol is a diuretic, which causes us to urinate more and therefore lose more fluid.
“This combination can be a double whammy,” he said, warning that it increases the risk of symptoms such as dizziness, dehydration and heat exhaustion.
He added that the late kickoff would give fans more time to drink before the game and that even when temperatures drop, it can be difficult to recover if your body is already dehydrated.
Dr Tensel warned fans to look out for dark urine, nausea and feeling unusually weak as “warning signs” of dehydration, but said prevention was the easiest way to stay well.
“The simplest advice is to pace yourself,” he said. “Replace your alcoholic beverages with water or soft drinks, eat properly before drinking, and don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink fluids.
“The aim is to remember the game and not have to go to A&E.”
This follows a week of record-breaking heat in the UK. The temperature reached 36.7C in Merryfield, Somerset, on Thursday afternoon, provisionally making it Britain’s hottest June day on record, the Met Office said.
On Friday, the chief of the country’s largest ambulance service also warned people to drink responsibly and avoid exercising outside amid a heatwave.
London Ambulance Service (LAS) responded to its highest ever number of life-threatening emergencies on Wednesday, and operations chief Craig Harman said they expected “demand to increase every day over the next few days”.
He advised people to drink “lots of water” in between alcoholic beverages.
The chief told the Press Association that it was not only the elderly and people with underlying health conditions who were affected by the heat, adding: “I tell people to drink water even if you are not thirsty, to stay out of the sun during the hottest parts of the day and not to exercise, especially outside, and not to put your body under additional heat and stress.”
LAS saw a 50 percent increase in life-threatening emergency calls and a 30 percent increase in the number of heart attacks compared to a typical Wednesday in June.
Police forces across the UK have also warned drivers not to drink or drink and drive after the match; Officers reminded drivers that the effects of this situation could last until the next morning.
Some are carrying out random patrols the morning after England fixtures in a bid to catch those who get behind the wheel while they are still over the limit.
Inspector Matt Boiles, of Avon and Somerset Police’s Highways Policing Unit, said one of the “biggest misconceptions” the force faced was people believing they were fit to drive because they had had a few hours of sleep.
“Going to bed doesn’t wash everything away,” he said. “Sleep, coffee, and showers don’t remove alcohol from your system; only time does.
“If you’ve spent the evening drinking while watching football, there’s a good chance you’ll still be over the legal limit the next morning. Someone who drinks six pints during and after the match could still be over the limit when they wake up the next day.”
He added: “Our advice is simple – if you’ve been drinking, don’t drive. Plan your journey home in advance and think about how you’ll get where you need to be the next morning.”
