Program teaches children the importance of covering up in the sun

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

The Friday before Memorial Day has been declared National SunWise Day. Several agencies really want to push Utahns to be a little bit smarter about protecting themselves against the sun.

[CLICK HERE to find out what the UV index is where you live]

**Skin cancer facts:**

- There will be over one million new cases of skin cancer in the U.S. this year - One American dies every hour from skin cancer - Melanoma is the leading cause of death from skin cancer - Melanoma is the #1 cancer in young, white, American women

It's recommended that you wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, even on days where the temperatures aren't scorching hot because there are still harmful UV rays.

Kristinn Vazquez with the EPA said, "Believe it or not, Utah is one of the top 10 states in the country as far as new cases of melanoma goes."

**Sun-smart tips**

***Prevention*** - Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. - Use a broad-spectrum sunblock with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide and an SPF of at least 30 - Apply sunblock 20 minutes before sun exposure and 20 minutes after going outdoors. Reapply every two hours - Wear protective clothing, including sunglasses ***Screening and early detection*** - Examine your skin monthly. Report changes to your doctor ***Know your risk*** - Learn factors that increase melanoma risk: - age over 50 - family or personal history of skin cancer - fair skin - freckles - light-colored eyes - numerous or unusual moles - history of sunburn

She said Utahns need to do a lot better at protecting themselves. She explained, "Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers, and it's the most preventable. We don't want to scare anyone, we just want to remind them to play safely."

**Skin Cancer Screening**

Saturday, May 30 Call for appointments: 1-888-424-2100 - Free full-body skin exam for people 18+ - Referral to dermatologist if needed - Spanish translators available

And Utahns need to do a better job of being safe. Dr. Glen Bowen, with the Huntsman Cancer Institute, said, "If you look at most people from Utah, ethnically, they're from northern Europe." They have blond hair and fair skin, and aren't meant to be this close to the equator and in such high altitude. Bowen said, "The most important thing is to avoid a sunburn, especially in children. It appears the sunburns we get as kids has a big impact on whether or not you get skin cancer when you get my age."

SunWise school kits will be handed out to Salt Lake County schools. They are free and loaded with lots of good stuff teachers can use to educate students about the dangers of the sun.

"The younger generation, if we can reach out to them, they will take these habits and make them life-long habits," said Vasquez.

E-mail: abutterfield@ksl.com