Doctors’ alarm over new EU ban plan – “crazy”

A person pushes a hospital bed. (Symbolic image) © dpa/Frank Molter

Could a reassessment of products by the EU bring the entire German healthcare system to a standstill? Various medical associations at least warn against this.

Berlin – alarm among several German medical associations. In the worst case scenario, they fear that the German healthcare system could collapse. And that because of a possible new one EU-Control.

The background: A current procedure by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to re-evaluate ethanol – or colloquially alcohol. If the EU implements certain plans, the use of ethanol in the medical sector could be severely restricted in the future, the associations warn. “This would have far-reaching consequences for hospitals, doctors’ and dentists’ practices as well as nursing homes,” writes the Federal Dental Association in a recent statement. If the EU had its way, the use of ethanol would be severely restricted or even banned due to current occupational safety regulations. This includes, for example, disinfectants for hands or surfaces.

EU rule threatens German healthcare system – doctors sound the alarm: “Insanity”

But what exactly is the EU procedure about? In mid-November, four other medical associations from Germany had already made similarly alarming statements. Accordingly, the EU could soon classify ethanol as toxic to reproduction or carcinogenic in category 2 – or even in the highest danger category 1. This would also have been the case, according to the Federal Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry (BPI), the Federal Association of Medical Technology (BVMed), the Industry Association for Hygiene & Surface Protection ( IHO) and the Association of the Diagnostic Industry (VDGH) have far-reaching consequences, as can be seen from a report by the medical journal emerges. With the new categorization, ethanol is likely to be used less or no longer at all in many processes. The DGKH warns of “massive restrictions on use”.

The Federal Dental Association provides a practical example of the consequences: “A classification as reproductively toxic would result in a ban on employment for all women of childbearing age under German labor law. This would immediately paralyze the healthcare system,” the statement said. Konstantin von Laffert, Vice President of the German Dental Association, speaks of “bureaucratic madness” on the part of the EU. This “new farce” is “symbolic of continuous bureaucratic overreach.”

New EU rule could make the use of ethanol more difficult – with “massive” consequences

But how would the EU suddenly limit the use of disinfectants in the medical sector? According to the associations, this is due to studies on risk classification when taking ethanol orally. And this is despite the fact that in the medical field you would usually not take alcohol orally, but rather use it to disinfect surfaces. “While the misuse of alcohol is ours Health can cause harm, alcohol is indispensable in medicine and hygiene. Ethanol is effective, safe and essential in production processes as well as in disinfectants, drugs or medical devices,” the associations counter loudly Ärzteblatt. In addition, the World Health Organization is cited, which has classified ethanol-containing hand disinfectants as “indispensable”.

“A corresponding classification would be disproportionate and also inappropriate, as it would be based solely on studies regarding the (abusive) oral intake of ethanol mixtures, i.e. drinking alcohol. However, drinking alcoholic beverages should remain permitted,” says the dentists’ statement.

“Scientifically incomprehensible”: Ethanol ban would worsen supply

The harsh conclusion of dentist vice-president von Laffert: “With the scientifically incomprehensible ban on ethanol, the supply would worsen and the hygiene chain would become holey.” Ethanol alternatives are expensive and would therefore further increase the costs in the healthcare system, according to the vice-president the Federal Dental Association. He speaks of “another bureaucratic stick that is being thrown between the legs of practices groaning due to a lack of staff.” The doctors are also addressing the government with their publications and hope to be able to stop the “bureaucratic burnout in the practices.”

The EU is currently planning a strict smoking ban and wants to create a “tobacco-free generation” by 2040. (rist)