Minister Warns of Heat Risks, Suggests Tips for Safe Summer Sports
Avoid consuming alcohol and grilling food during hot weather, suggests Nina Warken
As the mercury rises across Germany, Federal Health Minister Nina Warken unveils the latest heat protection plan. The focus is on keeping sport enthusiasts safe during hot weather.
Teamining up with the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), Minister Warken has devised three extensive heat protection plans to tackle the hazards of high temperatures. The plans cover mental health strategies, pharmacies, and organized sports.
The heat protection plans aim to "inform citizens about the health risks of heat," emphasized the Federal Ministry of Health's website. Particular attention is given to those at greater risk, such as the elderly, ill, pregnant women, children, and athletes. The plans offer advice to help these groups cope with heat.
Sports Safety First
With around 28.8 million sportspeople part of associations represented by the DOSB, safety in the summer heat is paramount. In her introduction, Health Minister Nina Warken strongly encourages sports enthusiasts to be vigilant as the mercury increases. The 13-page heat protection plan offers numerous tips to help prevent heat-related issues:
- Halting and ending competitions when temperatures reach dangerous levels
- Offering cold water through buckets or watering cans
- Providing free sunscreen and sunglasses for children
- Closing exposed sports facilities during scorching weather
- Excluding ill athletes from competitions
- Extending summer breaks and shortening winter breaks
- Skipping the drinks with alcohol, sugar, caffeine, and taurine; grilling and open-fire catering are off the menu
Pharmacies can help by providing water dispensers, increasing home deliveries during hot weather, reaching out to at-risk individuals, and warning about the perils of heat. They can also install more blinds, climate control systems, or ventilation systems.
Mindful Mental Health Care
Psychotherapeutic practices should review medication plans, create lists of at-risk individuals, and schedule appointments with high-risk patients during cooler parts of the day.
Although the first nationwide heat protection plan was introduced in 2023 by Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, France had already launched its first heat protection plan in 2004. Each summer, thousands of lives in Germany are claimed by the effects of extreme heat.
Recent findings show that nearly 3,100 heat-related deaths have occurred in Germany this year [2][4]. However, the specific guidelines for recreational sports to minimize heat-related risks within Germany's latest heat protection plan remain unspecified in readily available search results. Official documents or announcements from German health or sports authorities would provide further insight.
In the meantime, general tips for staying safe in the heat include:
- Hydration: Drinking plenty of water before, during, and after outdoor activities
- Clothing: Wearing light-colored, loose-fitting clothing made from breathable fabrics
- Shade: Taking regular breaks in shaded areas
- Weather Awareness: Planning activities around weather forecasts to avoid extreme heat
- Education: Learning about the signs of heat exhaustion and heatstroke to help stay safe and aid others in need.
- In the revised heat protection plan, the emphasis on sports safety is evident, with recommendations such as halting competitions at dangerous heat levels, providing free sunscreen and water, and closing exposed sports facilities during extreme heat.
- To ensure mental health care is mindful during summer, psychotherapeutic practices are encouraged to review medication plans, identify at-risk individuals, and schedule appointments during the cooler parts of the day.
- The health and wellness sphere is significantly addressed in the heat protection plan, with the inclusion of fitness and exercise, mental health, nutrition, and various therapies and treatments aimed at mitigating heat-related risks.
