The last two days of Carnival are here and tens of thousands are taking to the streets for J’ouvert and the parade of the bands. As always, there will be a high consumption of alcohol among those playing mas, which, when combined with the sun's heat, can lead to health issues if not handled properly.
Alcohol combined with high temperatures means your body may not be able to regulate its own temperature effectively and heat illness can present itself in three phases.
The first is heat cramps from the loss of essential water and sodium. The second phase is heat exhaustion caused by the dehydration. Lastly, heatstroke is the final phase and could lead to shock or organ failure.
Alcohol is a diuretic, and the sun causes persons to sweat to stay cool. If you are drinking in the hot sun, you may be losing fluids twice as quickly.
Alcohol also interferes with balance, coordination and judgment. These effects are heightened by sun exposure and heat.
We urge masqueraders not to take these facts lightly. Hydration is key and in that regard, we offer a few options.
Set limits by first deciding how many drinks you'll have and then sticking to that number. It’s also highly advisable to drink as much water between alcoholic beverages. This helps in keeping hydrated and slowing down alcohol consumption, giving the liver more time to process it.
Avoid drinking too quickly by leaving a certain amount of time between drinks.
Make sure to have a meal if drinking. This helps to slow the effects of alcohol. And as far as possible, avoid mixing alcoholic drinks.
These tips become more critical for persons who intend to drive. We urge all drinkers to have designated drivers. If you absolutely must drive, the onus is on you to be responsible. The best option is not to drink at all, but if you do, it should be moderately, allowing yourself no fewer than two hours after your last drink, before getting behind the wheel.
We urge the police to show no leniency to those who break the law by driving with a blood alcohol level above 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 milligrammes of breath.
There is excuse good enough for endangering the lives of others. This is is even more critical given that fatal accidents are up 17 per cent over the same period of last year.
Just yesterday, two more people were killed in road traffic accidents.
We stand with Road Safety Coordinator Corporal Brent Batson in his appeal to take driving seriously, as he warned that drunk drivers will be targeted.
We look forward to officers being out in full force conducting breathalyser tests on as many possible roads that lead away from the parade routes, as well as at other random points.
'Farewell to the flesh' allows these two days of freedom to indulge, but such indulgence cannot be at the expense of more lives on the nation's roads.