The need for a nationally recognized and unifying organization which is dedicated to maintaining a comprehensive skin cancer awareness program has never been more important than now.
Consider these facts:
- No one is immune to the sun's harmful rays.
- More than 90% of skin cancers occur on sun-exposed skin.1
- Over 1 million new skin cancers are diagnosed annually.
- In some parts of the world, melanoma is increasing at rates faster than any other cancer.
- Use of sunscreen with SPF 15 (for children under six, SPF 30 is recommended) or higher during the first 18 years of life can reduce some types of skin cancer by nearly 78%.
The Need for a Nationally Recognized Sun-safety Organization:
- Increasing public awareness about the link between skin cancer and UV exposure is desperately needed.
- Public education about UV exposure and skin cancer is fragmented and uncoordinated.
- There is no nationally recognized organization dedicated solely to changing public attitude about UV exposure.
- Programs elsewhere in the world have significantly reduced the prevalence of skin cancer.
Reference: 1. American Academy of Dermatology
