Hot Weather Warnings: Nina Warken Advises Caution in Sports and Leisure
Avoiding Alcohol and Barbecue During Heat Recommended by Nina Warken
With scorching temperatures on the rise in Germany, Federal Health Minister Nina Warken unveils the country's latest summer heat protection plan. This plan targets recreational sports and encourages participants to be mindful of their habits.
In collaboration with the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), Minister Warken has introduced three wide-reaching heat protection plans, each addressing the hazards of sweltering weather and offering guidance to minimize risks. The plans focus on psychological well-being, pharmacies, and organized sports.
The heat protection plans emphasize informing citizens about the health perils of intense heat, particularly for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, ailing, pregnant women, children, and athletes.
German Sports Scene: A Bustling 28.8 Million Participants
The emphasis on recreational sports is significant, as over 28.8 million people engage in sports through associations represented by the DOSB. The health minister advises athletes to exercise caution amid the heatwave.
Detailed over 13 pages, the heat protection plan offers recommendations on:
- Suspending or cancelling competitions based on certain criteria
- Providing water for cooling off, such as buckets or watering cans
- Offering free sunscreen and sunglasses for children
- Closing exposed sports facilities during extreme heat
- Excluding sick athletes from competitions
- Extending summer breaks and shortening winter breaks
- Avoiding the sale of alcoholic and sugary, caffeinated, and taurine-containing beverages
- Preventing open fire or grill catering
Pharmacies and Heat Protection
Pharmacies will be encouraged to provide water dispensers, deliver medications in hot weather, and reach out to at-risk individuals. They should also install more blinds and climate control or ventilation systems.
Mental Health and Heat Protection
Psychotherapeutic practices should create a list of at-risk individuals, revise medication plans, and schedule appointments during cooler parts of the day, such as early morning or late evening.
Despite the rise in summer temperatures, the first national heat protection plan was introduced in 2023 under Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach. Unlike Germany, France introduced its heat protection plan as early as 2004. Each year, several thousand people in Germany die during the summer months due to heat-related health issues.
While specific details about Germany's heat protection plan regarding recreational sports, alcohol consumption, and grilling during hot weather may not be available, general recommendations for heat safety in recreational settings include exercising during cooler parts of the day, staying hydrated, and avoiding strenuous activities.
Learn more about integrating heat protection measures into urban planning and infrastructure by exploring initiatives like the "Heat Action Day"[1][2]. The city of Worms has developed a Heat Action Plan that includes community-driven measures to protect vulnerable populations but does not address recreational sports, alcohol consumption, or grilling specifically.[3]
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33397246/[2] https://www.urbanclimate.net/heat-action-day/[3] https://www.worms.de/leben-unterwegs/gesundheit-und-kultur/projekt-heat-action-plan-worms/
- The community is encouraged to follow the updated community policy on heat protection, which emphasizes the importance of vocational training for athletes, focusing on fitness-and-exercise, mental-health, and nutrition, to ensure their safety during hot weather.
- Under the heat protection plan, vocational training programs for sports coaches will include modules on identifying and handling heat-related health risks, such as dehydration and heat exhaustion, as part of their science curriculum.
- The new heat protection plan also encourages community centers to offer health-and-wellness workshops on heat safety, stressing the importance of proper nutrition, mental health, and exercise for maintaining overall well-being during prolonged hot weather.
