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Don’t Fry-Day is Friday; EPA Offers Tips to Prevent Skin Cancer

Release Date: 05/26/2011
Contact Information: Elias Rodriguez, 212-637-3664, [email protected]

(New York, NY) In the Caribbean, sun safety is always a concern and the Friday before Memorial Day is “Don’t Fry Day,” an opportunity to remind people about the dangers from exposure to the sun’s harmful rays. Over exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer. Melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, is on the rise in America and is the most common cancer among young adults aged 25-29. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) SunWise program and the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention are working together to provide simple tips on protecting yourself that could save lives.

One American dies from skin cancer every hour. It is the most common type of cancer in the United States, where 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.

“Whether you are at the beach or simply taking a walk on a sunny day, it’s easy to forget that unprotected sun exposure can cause serious health problems,” said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. “The good news is that there are simple steps you can take to protect yourself and your family from too much sun, the main cause of skin cancer.”

Although skin cancer risk factors are always present even during the winter, the dangers are greater during the summer months, when the days are longer and more people are outside for longer periods of time. As millions of Americans kick off the summer season this Memorial Day weekend by enjoying the great outdoors, EPA encourages families to learn about sun-safe practices and to reduce overexposure to ultraviolet (UV).

For “Don’t Fry Day,” (May 27 this year), EPA encourages Americans to take these few, easy precautions when they are outside:

· “Slip, Slop, Slap, Wrap.” Slip on a shirt. Slop on SPF 15+ sunscreen. Slap on a hat, and wrap on sunglasses to protect your body from overexposure to the sun
· Seek shade. Find shade during the sun’s peak hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to reduce the risk of too much sun exposure
· Check the UV Index. When planning outdoor activities check the UV Index to identify the times that pose the greatest risk for overexposure to the sun

EPA’s SunWise program is the nation’s largest environmental and health education program designed to encourage kids and their caregivers to protect themselves from too much sun.

More information on “Don’t Fry Day” and additional sun safety resources: https://www.epa.gov/sunwise/dfd.html

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.

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