Children in Munich – What risks are they really exposed to?

1. Dialogue forum “The risks of living in Munich – Perceived and actual“ at the Bavarian State Library on 21 September 2006

A podium discussion on the “Children in Munich – Perceived and actual” was jointly hosted by the GSF National Research Center for Environment and Health and the Munich Re Foundation. It was attended by people who live in Munich and representatives from environmental and health authorities and from the fields of politics and business. The evening was the first in a series of dialogue forums with which the hosts aim to sharpen the awareness among Munich’s citizens of the actual risks they face.

Prof. Günther Wess, scientific and technical manager of the GSF research centre, commenced by emphasising that “Our responsibility extends far beyond a purely scientific role. It also involves sharing our knowledge with the public.” Roughly 70 listeners took part in the ensuing discussion with internationally renowned experts on the major and minor health risks to which children are exposed in large cities such as Munich.

Accidents and passive smoking

The specialists unanimously agreed that accidents and passive smoking at home constituted the two greatest risk factors and that children from socially deprived backgrounds were verifiably the worst affected. It was this group that the authorities and politicians should focus their attention on, said the experts, who expressed serious doubts as to whether the many information and prevention campaigns waged thus far had achieved their targets.

Perceived and actual risks

Risks that one can influence were generally considered to be lower than those one feels at the mercy of, said Prof. Peter Höppe of Munich Re, the first speaker of the evening. He cited the fact that parents tended to overrate the risk of nuclear radiation and mobile phone masts but underestimated risk factors such as lack of exercise and accidents in the home. He said this explained the example of a woman who refused to let her child leave the apartment on summer days when ozone levels were high. “It later turned out that the woman was a heavy smoker”, said Höppe.

Dr. Hermann Fromme of the Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority provided evidence that two-thirds of all children aged 6-13 were regularly exposed to passive smoke and that one in every five pregnant women smoked. Dr. Fromme defined the adverse consequences for children as ranging from middle-ear infections to asthma and cancer. “It is time for Germany to act!”, he urged, pointing out that smoking bans were taking effect even in typical “smoking” countries such as Italy.

Pediatrician Stephan Böse-O’Reilly, a member of the German Network on Children’s Health and Environment, also identified accidents and passive smoking as central hazards which, in addition, were associated with substantial costs. He advised that €300m to €600m could be saved annually through the prevention of road accidents and another €250m through measures against passive smoking.

Prof. Monika Jungbauer-Gans, a sociologist at the University of Kiel, established during her analysis of extensive amounts of data from Munich school-entry medicals that children from low-income households were more inclined to be overweight and suffered from a lack of exercise. In the case of vaccinations, the picture was diametrically opposed: “In Munich, the more educated the parents are, the less likely they are to have their children vaccinated and the more they turn from orthodox to alternative forms of medicine.”

Lively discussion

The lead-in contributions from the experts triggered a lively discussion, for instance about the gaps in vaccination among children living in Munich. It transpired that the views about whether vaccinations made sense or not were very mixed, not only among members of the audience but also among the experts on the podium – an indication that the issue of “children and the risks they face” should not be dropped from the sociopolitical agenda.

“Unfortunately, many risks in children’s lives are still grossly misunderstood”, said Thomas Loster, Chairman of the Munich Re Foundation. “Only if we develop a risk awareness for the real risks we face, can we take suitable action.”