The American Society for Dermatological Surgery created the SUNucate Coalition to protect students from dangerous UV exposure while outdoors at school or at summer camps. The Coalition has been instrumental in raising awareness and advocating for common sense legislation to allow sunscreen to be brought to school or camp without the unnecessary need for a doctor’s note.
Since the SUNucate Coalition was formed, many states in the United States have passed this legislation. However, there are more states including the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, where IMPACT Melanoma is headquartered, who are currently debating the legislation.
Adopting sun safe habits at an early age is essential to reduce the incidence of skin cancer, including melanoma, in the United States. Access to sunscreen and reapplying sunscreen is proven to reduce the risk of developing skin cancer by 50%. Having five or more sunburns doubles your risk of developing melanoma. For the age group of 15 to 29-year-olds, melanoma is the second most common cancer. All of these facts point to the importance of promoting sunscreen use and encouraging usage at school and camps. We need more advocates reaching out to their legislators to have SUNucate legislation passed in all states.
Recently, IMPACT Melanoma’s Executive Director Deb Girard testified in support of Massachusetts House Bill H619, “An Act Relative to the Use of Sunscreen Protection in Schools and Camps.” This commonsense bill would allow children to carry and apply sunscreen at school or camp without needing a physician’s note, which is currently required. If this bill passes, Massachusetts will join the growing list of states to recognize the importance of sunscreen as allowable protection for our students. We hope to be able to share soon that this legislation, based on SUNucate’s proposal, will pass in the Commonwealth.
Do you know if your state promotes and encourages sunscreen use at schools and camps? Check SUNucate’s state by state status. We encourage you to advocate for common sense laws that will promote adopting sun safe habits at an early age that will ultimately save lives.
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