EPA Asks Louisiana Residents to Fight #1 Cancer in U.S. with Dont Fry Day (Friday, May 27) (LA)
(DALLAS - 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
Environmental Protection Agency (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 Louisiana residents 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.
“This is the perfect time of year to
remind people to protect themselves and their family members from
too much sun by taking simple steps like putting on sunscreen, a
hat, sunglasses, and a t-shirt,” said EPA Regional
Administrator Al Armendariz. "Teaching sun safety is crucial
because nearly half of all new cancers diagnosed in the United
States each year are skin cancers."
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.
For “Don’t Fry Day,” EPA
encourages Louisiana residents to practice the Slip, Slop, Slap and Wrap safety tips, which include:
· Slop on SPF 15+ sunscreen generously;
· Slap on a hat; and
· Wrap on sunglasses.
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 .
More information on “Don’t Fry Day” and additional sun safety resources is available at https://www.epa.gov/sunsafety/dfd.html
More about activities in EPA Region 6 is available at http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.html
EPA audio file is available at http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcst/may2011.html