¿Cuáles son los peligros de beber en clima caluroso?

Does drinking in the sun make you drunker?

It's a common myth that you feel the effects of alcohol more when drinking in the sun. If you've ever felt more affected by a drink enjoyed in the sunshine, it's because the other, undesired symptom of alcohol - dehydration - affects you quicker.

Dr Deborah Lee of Dr Fox Online Pharmacy explains that dehydration can have serious consequences for your health. Even if you are just 1-2% dehydrated this can make you feel sluggish and tired.

Other signs of dehydration include:

• Dolores de cabeza.

• Calambres musculares.

• Dry mouth/dry lips.

• Peeling skin.

• Estreñimiento.

• Feeling dizzy or faint.

Dehydration is also a major cause of hangover symptoms.

Why does alcohol dehydrate you?

Drinking alcohol causes you to pee more often. This is because alcohol is a diuretic, which means it causes your body to lose more water through pee. It does this by interfering with the hormone called vasopressin.

Why does the sun dehydrate you?

The heat from the sun can cause you to sweat more. The quantity of sweat produced can be as high as a couple of litres, depending on the heat and your activity levels. This can cause your body to lose fluids and lead to dehydration.

Overheating while drinking in the sun

"Sitting in the sun means you are more likely to overheat, which has the potential to become heat exhaustion and ultimately, heatstroke," explains Dr Lee.

Each year in England and Wales, there are nearly 800 excess deaths associated with heat, according to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

"Being too hot puts strain on your heart too, increasing the risk of strokes and heart attacks."

Skin damage from drinking in the sun

It's possible you will ignore the dangers of the sun's UV rays on your skin if you are tipsy or drunk. But, protecting your skin from the sun is important, both by wearing at least SPF 50 and seeking shade.

Excess sunlight exposure damages skin by speeding up the changes of ageing, causing loss of elasticity, wrinkling, and sagging.

There are more serious risks too. Lots of sunlight exposure is strongly linked to the development of both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers.

The dangers of teenage drinking

Alcohol and sunshine is a dangerous enough mix for adults, but for the secondary-schoolers and university students swapping revision time for party time, the implications are even more worrisome.

While the UK legal drinking age is 18 years, the reality is that underage drinking remains ingrained in British culture. Despite a steady downward trend in teenage drinking, according to Public Health England, by 17 years of age around 2 out of 3 boys and 1 in 2 girls drink alcohol every week.

There are reasons the government sets a legal age limit. Science tells us that young people are significantly more affected by alcohol, because it can interfere with their development. For example:

End of exam drinking in the sun

People of all ages need to be especially careful about drinking in the sun. For teenagers and university students, this also marks end of exam celebrations.

If you're a parent, it's difficult to control how your child celebrates with their friends. Still, gentle reminders of the additional dangers of drinking in the sun may have a positive influence that helps to counteract any peer pressure they may be facing during this time.

Should I let my teenager drink alcohol?

Drinkaware UK encourages parents to have the alcohol chat with children celebrating the end of exams or GCSE results. They have useful resources on how to answer tough questions.

What if my teenager is drinking after exams?

In reality, what your teenager gets up to is often out of your control. If you know or suspect they're drinking to celebrate end of exams, make sure they understand how to make drinking in the sun as safe as possible.

Pass on this advice, and then take these steps to help you monitor and protect your child as much as you can this summer:

• Get to know their friends - to help identify and discourage negative influences.

• Get friendly with their friends' parents - to share the responsibility of monitoring their summer drinking behaviours.

• Talk to them about underlying issues - don't assume drinking after exams is all about celebration. Young people could be finding it hard to let go of exam stress, or there may be other life factors that are causing them to use alcohol as a coping mechanism.

• Lay down rules and punishments - remind your teen of the risks of teenage drinking, from their health to the possibility of arrest in public spaces.

• Encourage other interests and social activities - there are many other ways to enjoy the summer, from sports to creative hobbies or fun days out.

Don't beat yourself up, and try to be patient with your child. Learning about the risks of teenage drinking, alcohol in the sun, as well as how to navigate end of exam time celebrations and peer pressure can be a useful life lesson for many young people on their way to adulthood.