It is hard to reconcile the raindrops falling outside my office window this morning with the fact that this weekend marks the beginning of the summer vacation season. But that is what it is, and I know that somewhere someone(s) will be trekking off to a beach, a lake, a mountain, or an outdoor activity for a couple of days of fun and relaxation.
So today is still a good day (the rain notwithstanding) to remind all of you that sun safety should be at the top of your mind as you head off to your well deserved and well earned weekend of fun.
Today is also a good day to introduce you to something new, which hopefully will remind you throughout the summer that sun safety is an important part of your outdoor lifestyle. That “something new” is the first annual “Don't Fry Day” sponsored by the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention, and its 45 member organizations who are dedicated to the cause of doing just what the organization’s name implies: preventing skin cancer.
“Don't Fry Day” may be formally acknowledged on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, but every day you spend in the sun should be a “Don't Fry Day,” especially for the children and young adults in your family.
Skin cancer is far and away the most common form of cancer in the United States. And, although fortunately for most of us it is treated simply and effectively, for others it can be very disfiguring and fatal.
Practicing sun safety is the one proven way to decrease your risk of skin cancer. And, although prevention through sun safety is important throughout your life, it is especially important for young children and young adults. Sunburns as a child or young adult are one of the major risk factors for skin cancer later in life.
What are the sun safety recommendations?
You can keep this simple slogan in mind, and you won’t forget: Slip! Slop! Slap!...and Wrap. Translated, it means: slip on a shirt (preferably one that has dark colors), slap on a hat (one with a wide brim is best), slop on the sunscreen (broad spectrum with an SPF of 15 or higher, applied liberally and OFTEN when swimming, sweating, or spending more than 2 hours out of doors), and wrap on a pair of UV protective sunglasses.
Take these simple steps now—especially when you are young—and you can likely avoid skin cancer later. The more you sunburn, the higher your risk of developing not only the relatively “benign” skin cancers (called squamous cell and basal cell skin cancer) but also the much more dangerous and deadly form of skin cancer called melanoma.
Please note carefully what “Don’t Fry Day” does NOT mean. It does NOT mean don’t go outside. It does NOT mean don’t enjoy the outdoors. It does NOT mean become a hermit in your house, or dress top to bottom in dark heavy clothes when you are hiking, fishing, or spending a day at the beach. Good health includes spending time outdoors, where you are more likely to exercise and enjoy yourself. Taking that away from people or suggesting that they should avoid the outdoors simply doesn’t make sense and isn’t realistic. But it DOES mean that by taking some simple precautions, you can enjoy the outdoors and not pay a big immediate penalty with a horrible burn or later in life have a doctor lop off tens of cancers from your body, including from your ears and your nose.
If you want more information about “Don’t Fry Day” or sun safety in general, you can go to our website at www.cancer.org or to the website of the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention at www.skincancerprevention.org. The American Cancer Society has also posted a sun safety podcast on our website. In addition. there are a number of organizations that are supporting Don’t Fry Day, including the American Cancer Society, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Dermatology and the Skin Cancer Foundation, among many others.
For the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention we look forward to growing “Don't Fry Day” and making it part of our vacation season “celebration” every year for many years to come.
For you, we hope that you will take the message to heart that every day in the sun should be a “Don't Fry Day.”
Now, go have some (sun safe) fun!!!
