Heat poses additional health risks
Published on:
25 March 2024
Heat can worsen other health risks. Such as an increase in skin cancer due to UV radiation, an increase in smog-related health problems, more deaths from drowning and an increase in alcohol consumption and related domestic violence.
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© Leidsch Dagblad
Municipality is heatproof if
- There is good coordination with other departments within municipalities.
- Information is available about preventing skin cancer through good UV protection.
- There is no increase in smog-related health complaints.
- Drowning in (public) bathing water occurs as little as possible.
- Alcohol use, stress and (increasing) domestic violence do not increase during heat waves.
Measures
- Starting and/or spreading an information campaign about skin cancer.
- Coordinate heat advice with advice for other health risks, to reinforce each other's advice and prevent contradictions.
- Good monitoring of bathing water and clear communication about the risks of swimming in rivers and lakes.
- Extra monitoring for domestic violence due to stress and alcohol use during heat.
Tips
- Connect with other colleagues and (external) programs that deal with these health risks, such as the Clean Air Agreement (in Dutch).
- Follow national information campaigns and agree with the GGD whether and what else is locally needed and desired when it comes to information about skin cancer. For an example, see Skin cancer information campaign (in Dutch). Campaigns are running at national level through the Skin Fund (in Dutch) and KWF.
- Plan with bathing water managers to organize extra supervision during heat waves and to communicate about the risks of swimming in rivers and lakes. See also the Rijkswaterstaat website.
- Agree with the social district team, district manager and police and enforcement that extra monitoring will be done for domestic violence due to stress and alcohol use during heat.
Commissioned by:
- Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning
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