Sun Exposure: Community Action
The Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention is dedicated to helping you lower your personal risk of diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. However, there are also many things you can do to help prevent these types of diseases in your community. One such thing is to help people protect their skin from ultraviolet light -- whether from the sun or from tanning booths and sunlamps. Being exposed to ultraviolet light at any age increases the risk of skin cancer, as well as premature wrinkles and sunspots, but children are particularly vulnerable. Their skin is more likely to burn, and childhood sunburns are a major risk factor for malignant melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer.
By taking some of the steps outlined below, you can help ensure that your community is sun safe for children and adults.
Support Skin Protection in Your Local Schools, Camps, and Day Care Centers.
Urge Retailers to Carry Sun-Protective Clothing.
Support Policies that Restrict Youth Access to Tanning Booths and Sunlamps.
Support a National Skin Protection Campaign.
Support Skin Protection in Your Local Schools, Camps, and Day Care Centers.
Schools, camps, and day care centers can play an important role in promoting skin protection among children and adolescents. For example, they can establish shaded outdoor areas where children can play, or they can avoid scheduling outdoor activities between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (peak burning hours). Use the resource below to help create a sun-safe environment for children in your community.
American Academy of Dermatology
ABCs for Fun in the Sun
Share with administrators at your local schools, camps, and day-care settings. It will help them to evaluate and improve their sun-safe programs and policies.
Urge Retailers to Carry Sun-Protective Clothing.
Clothing manufacturers now make apparel that is designed specifically to reduce sun exposure. For example, Lycra shirts and broad rimmed hats can block the sun's harmful rays, and many of these products even include UV ratings so that you know how effective they are. If the stores you shop in do not carry sun-protective clothing, talk to the managers and encourage them to order skin-safe items throughout the year.
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Support Policies that Restrict Youth Access to Tanning Booths and Sunlamps.
The ultraviolet light emitted from tanning booths and sunlamps is not any safer than that emitted from the sun. To protect children and adolescents, some communities are now developing and enforcing policies that limit young people's use of tanning booths and sunlamps. For example, some policies require parental consent or accompaniment.
Find out about regulations and policies related to indoor tanning by contacting your state or local health department.
Contact your elected officials to express your support for policies related to tanning booths and sunlamps.
Support a National Skin Protection Campaign.
A national campaign to promote skin protection might include a widespread media campaign to educate the public about the best ways to protect the skin, a "no hat - no play" policy in schools, or the elimination of sales tax on sunscreens.
The Cancer Council of Victoria
SunSmart
Learn about this national sun protection campaign in Australia.
Contact your elected officials to express your support for sun-safe policies in your area.
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