Health officials urge Americans not to drink alcohol in 18 states: 'Could lead to permanent disability'

Daily Mail​

24-07-2025

Health officials urge Americans not to drink alcohol in 18 states: 'Could lead to permanent disability'
Health officials have warned people living in the south and Midwest to steer clear of alcohol this week due to 'extremely dangerous heat conditions.'
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a statement this week about severe heatwaves in 18 states, where temperatures could reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) in the coming days.
The temperatures are part of a 'heat dome' enveloping the US, which occurs when the atmosphere traps hot air over certain areas like a lid on a pot.
The NWS warned alcoholic beverages act as diuretics, meaning they tell the body to produce and pass more urine.
Increased urination causes the body to lose fluids, and if those fluids can't be replaced, the body becomes dehydrated.
Without enough fluids, blood volume in the body diminishes, damaging the kidneys, heart, brain and other vital organs. High temperatures mixed with dehydration can lead to heat stroke, which the CDC warns could cause 'permanent disability.'
Coffee and sodas have the same mechanism, so health authorities recommend opting for water or sports drinks instead.
NWS also suggested limiting outdoor activities, opting for water instead of alcohol or sodas and wearing light clothing.
The National Weather Service warned not to drink alcohol in extreme heat (stock image)
The warning comes as heat-related deaths in the US have doubled in the past 25 years and could even triple in the next 50 due to gradually increasing temperatures.
Around 1,200 Americans die from heat-related causes every year, though officials note the actual number could be 10-fold higher due to underreporting.
As of Monday, extreme heat warnings, which the NWS issues when 'extremely dangerous heat conditions are expected or occurring,' were put in place for parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois.
The agency said heat index values, which measure how hot it feels to the human body when taking both temperature and humidity into account, were expected to surpass 100 degrees in these areas.
Parts of Mississippi were even expected 115-degree heat.
Less severe 'heat advisories' were issued this week for South Dakota, Nebraska, Texas, Iowa, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Diuretic drinks like alcohol tell the kidneys to release more water and produce more urine, which helps the body get rid of excess fluid.
But in hot temperatures, the body is already losing fluid due to sweating, so diuretics could drain the body of fluids faster than they can be replaced.
In response, blood volume decreases, which means not enough of it can flow to vital organs.
This makes sweating, which cools the body down, less effective and makes the body's internal temperature increase.
This leads to heat stroke, which causes nausea, vomiting, a rapid pulse, loss of consciousness and organ failure.
NWS said on X: 'Dangerous heat in the southeast on Saturday will begin to build into the mid-Mississippi Valley and Midwest by early in the upcoming workweek.
'Major and Extreme HeatRisk are designated for conditions not only to vulnerable populations but also anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration.'
The agency has also warned earlier this summer against eating meals high in protein during a heat advisory.
Compared to carbohydrates and fats, protein takes more energy to digest into amino acid, meaning the body burns more calories. This generates heat.
Body temperature increases as a result, a process called diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT).
This could explain why eating protein-rich foods might cause 'meat sweats.'
NWS suggested skipping chicken and steak and instead opting for foods with high water content like watermelon, berries, melons and cucumbers.