Sizzling Summer Ahead: Minister's Heat Protection Plan Urges Sober Grilling and Hydration During Heatwaves
Avoid drinking alcohol and grilling food during hot weather, as advised by Nina Warken.
Germany's mercury is on the rise, and a sweltering summer is barreling towards us. In response, the Federal Health Minister, Nina Warken, has unveiled the second nationwide heat protection plan, prioritizing recreational sports. Athletes, fans, and general fitness enthusiasts are advised to tread carefully as temperatures climb.
Nina Warken, alongside the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), has proposed three revised nationwide heat protection plans. These plans tackle the threats of scorching heat by offering guidelines to minimize harm. One plan focuses on psychotherapeutic practices, another on pharmacies, and the third on organized sports.
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The heat protection plans aim to enlighten citizens about the health pitfalls of heat, with a particular emphasis on shielding those in high-risk zones. This includes the elderly, ill patients, pregnant women, children, and athletes. The plans provide guidance on how these groups can better guard themselves against the heat.
Sporting Population of 28.8 Million in Germany
Recreational sports are highlighted in the plan. The DOSB represents around 28.8 million sporting individuals. "Those participating in sports should exercise caution as the mercury rises," Minister Nina Warken writes in the plan introduction. The heat protection plan lists numerous recommendations over 13 pages:
- Criteria for suspending and cancelling competitions
- Provision of buckets or watering cans with cold water
- Offering free sunscreen and sunglasses for children
- Closing exposed sports facilities during heatwaves
- Excluding sick athletes from competitions
- Prolonging summer breaks and shortening winter breaks
- Discouraging the consumption of alcoholic beverages and sugary, caffeinated, or taurine-laced drinks
- Avoiding open fires or grilling catering
Pharmacies are recommended to install water dispensers, increase home deliveries during hot weather, reach out to vulnerable individuals, and issue explicit warnings about the perils of intense heat. They're also suggested to install more blinds and climate or ventilation systems.
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Psychotherapeutic practices are advised to compile lists of high-risk individuals, review medication regimens, and schedule consultations with at-risk patients during cooler parts of the day.
Although the first nationwide heat protection plan was launched in 2023 under Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, France introduced its heat protection plan as early as 2004. As temperatures soar during the summer months, thousands of people in Germany succumb to the consequences of heat-related complications each year.
Sources: ntv.de, as
Additional Information *Common recommendations for recreational sports and outdoor activities during hot weather include:
- Hydration: Encouraging participants to drink an abundant amount of water before, during, and after activities.
- Timing: Organizing activities during cooler periods of the day.
- Shade and Cooling: Providing shade and using cooling methods, such as fans or misting systems.
- Weather Monitoring: Regularly monitoring weather predictions to adjust plans as necessary.
- Health Surveillance: Ensuring participants are informed about heat-related health risks and symptoms.
- These measures are intended to reduce the health hazards inherent in exposure to high temperatures during outdoor activities.
- The revised nationwide heat protection plan, presented by Federal Health Minister Nina Warken and the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), includes a focus on vocational training for athletes, emphasizing the importance of understanding health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, and mental-health aspects within the context of heat protection during sports activities.
- As part of Germany's heat protection plan strategies, it is suggested to incorporate science in formulating policy, with an emphasis on nutrition and its role in improving overall well-being during hot weather conditions.
- In response to the rising number of heat-related illnesses and fatalities, Minister Warken's heat protection plan extends beyond sports and addresses community policy, with a specific focus on creating a resilient elderly population by promoting vocational training in health-and-wellness and mental-health care for community workers.
