Alcohol Warning Posted for Louisiana and Texas – Here’s Why

(KMDL-FM) If you are a resident of Louisiana or portions of eastern Texas this morning, then there is a warning that could be very near and dear to your weekend. But hopefully by the time quitting time rolls around on Friday afternoon, we'll have this all sorted and it will be business as usual in the Honky Tonks of Houston, Vidor, Beaumont, and Austin.

I am sure the party people in Louisiana, where the beverages seem to flow non-stop, will be keeping an eye on this latest situation, too. And just to calm your nerves, so you won't need a drink, we can tell you right now, there is nothing wrong with your drink.

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A lot of times, when you read a headline warning consumers about consuming a particular product, it's because there has been an issue with that product discovered. Sometimes it's a contaminant. Other times, there could be an issue with the product that occurred during the manufacturing process.

Or in some cases, the company simply mislabels the product. No, it doesn't seem like a big deal, but for people who have allergies, a mislabeled product can be a death sentence. This warning has nothing to do with the actual product.

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Has There Been an Alcohol Recall in Texas and Louisiana?

It does have everything to do with when, where, and how that product is consumed. We mentioned that this "warning" is for Texas and Louisiana. Truth be told, there are 16 other states, including Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee, to which a similar warning applies. This alcohol concern goes as far north as Canada.

So, to be clear, your beer, wine, whiskey, rum, vodka, whatever you're drinking, is not the issue; the issue is more environmental. And if there was one word we could use to describe the environment in Texas and Louisiana over the next few days, that word would be "HOT".

And that's where the warning comes in. According to the National Weather Service, heat is the number one weather killer in the United States. If you weren't aware, Texas, Louisiana, and the other sixteen states we've told you about are all under a heat advisory or excessive heat warning today. And one of the substances that exacerbates symptoms of heat-related illnesses is alcohol.

All of the areas that you see shaded in orange or purple are areas of the country that are currently under a heat advisory or excessive heat warning. As you can see, this "heat dome" covers much of the country's mid-section. Alcohol consumption warnings are included as part of the forecast for each of the states you see in the shaded areas.

Why Has the Weather Service Issued a Warning About Drinking Alcohol?

One of the bigger health issues with heat-related illness is dehydration. Alcohol is now to act as a diuretic, meaning it increases the loss of fluid from the body. This extra elimination of fluids, coupled with high temperatures, can be a deadly combination for even those in the best of health.

That is why there is an alcohol warning included in the heat advisories that you'll be hearing about for the next several days. Now, some of the heat might subside here along the Gulf coast as a tropical weather system brings in showers and storms, but elsewhere, it will remain hot, and as good as that cold beer might look, be careful before you tip it back.