EPA Region 10 Asks Oregonians to Fight #1 Cancer in U.S. with Dont Fry Day (Friday, May 27) (OR)
[Seattle - May 23, 2011]— Every hour, one
American dies from skin cancer – the number one cancer in the
U.S. To help people learn easy ways to combat the disease, the U.S.
EPA SunWise program has partnered with the National Council on Skin
Cancer Prevention to designate the Friday before Memorial Day (May
27) as “Don’t Fry Day.” EPA encourages Oregonians
to learn about and practice sun-safe behaviors this Don’t Fry
Day to reduce overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation –
the main cause of skin cancer.
Each Memorial Day weekend, millions of Americans
kick off the summer season and begin enjoying the great outdoors.
Though skin cancer risks exist all year long, the dangers are even
greater during the summer months, when the days are longer, and
more people are outside for longer periods of time. The rate of new
melanoma diagnoses—responsible for 75% of all skin cancer
deaths—was 36% higher in Oregon than the national average
from 2002-2006 and was the 4th highest in the U.S.
“Even here in the Pacific Northwest and
Alaska, where it can be cloudy and rainy, it’s important that
we protect ourselves from harmful UV rays," said Dennis McLerran,
EPA Regional Administrator in Seattle. “Oregon, Washington,
and Idaho, are among the top ten states for new melanoma diagnoses,
so it is very important that we practice sun-safe behaviors
year-round, not just during the spring and summer
months.”
For “Don’t Fry Day,” Region 10
encourages Oregon residents to practice the Slip, Slop, Slap and Wrap safety tips, which include:
· Slip on a shirt, preferably with
sleeves;
· Slop on SPF 15+ sunscreen
generously;
· Slap on a hat; and
· Wrap on sunglasses.
SunWise also recommends that families seek shade
during the sun’s peak hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Checking the UV Index to plan outdoor activities is also key for
identifying times that pose the greatest risk for overexposure to
the sun.
In the U.S., skin cancer affects more than two
million people each year, outnumbering the cases of breast,
prostate, lung and colon cancers combined. One in five Americans
will develop the disease in their lifetime. Meanwhile,
melanoma—the most serious form of skin cancer— is on
the rise. It is the most common cancer among young adults ages 25
to 29.
For more on “Don’t Fry Day”
and additional sun safety resources, including a sun safety packing
list and new public service announcements created by kids in K-8,
go to: https://www.epa.gov/sunsafety/dfd.html.
EPA’s SunWise program is a national
environmental and health education program that teaches children
and their caregivers how to be safe in the sun through the use of
classroom-, school-, and community-based components. To learn more
about free SunWise resources, download the UV Index widget or smart
phone application, or sign up to receive daily UV Index forecasts,
visit www.epa.gov/sunwise