[Prevention in health and environmental policy]

The article intends to show how important prevention is; not only in the politics of public health, but also in those of environmental protection. A few examples picked out of different fields make it evident that measures provided for environmental protection are at the same time useful to human health. One of the main points is the interpretation of the principle of prevention being one of the most eminent principles mentioned in the federal law on environmental protection, which was put into force on 1st January 1985. Particular importance is to be attributed to the environmental impact assessment as an instrument of prevention. A further main point shows the difficulties and limits that exist when due consideration to the principle of prevention is to be procured. In order to surmount these obstacles, information and enlightenment as well as motivation of each individual citizen are highly important.