In This Issue:
▪ Special Halloween Sun Safety Tips
▪ Sun Safety Entertainment Depiction Suggestions
▪ Salute to CBS Cares!
▪ EIC Announces the Center for Sun Safety and Skin Cancer Prevention
▪ Companies That Care: A New Sun Safe Education Program
▪ Sun Safe Education Program A Success in Early Learning Centers
▪ Victory for Sun Safety Outreach: Jeff Nygaard and the AVP Tour
▪ Sun Safety in the News: Indoor Tanning
Special Halloween Sun Safety Tips
The Sun Safety Alliance is happy to announce that for our fall newsletter, we have asked an expert on sun safety to come in and write a very special “Sun Safety Tips”. This man has spent his whole life as an advocate for better shade structures, really sinking his teeth into the idea of a world without sun damage. While his sun avoidance techniques have been labeled as unorthodox, we feel that he is the best advocate for year round sun safety and personally, he was just dying to come and talk to all of you. Without further ado, we’d like to introduce the one and only Count Dracula
Hello my children of the night! It is downright ghastly that skin cancer incidence has been rising around the world (the mere thought of skin cancer drives me batty!) But fear not, I am here to help. I have developed proven sun protection methods over the years and believe me when I say: I have a stake in your health. So to stay safe in the sun year-round please consider the following tips:
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Keep in mind the sun is strongest between 10 am and 4 pm.
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Wear clothing that's dark and tightly woven, I recommend donning a cape.
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Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.
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Remember that UV rays bounce off sand, snow, concrete, and water.
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Do not use sun tanning beds.
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Keep very young children (6 months or less) out of the sun.
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Sunscreens need to be applied liberally and evenly over all exposed areas, especially your neck…I hate it when my lunch is burned.
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Apply a sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or higher whenever you're outdoors. To achieve adequate UV protection you should use products that provide broad spectrum protection, which means protection against both UVB and UVA rays. For broad spectrum protection, look for products that provide an SPF of at least 15 and contain ingredients like Avobenzone (Parsol 1789) or zinc oxide.
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For children, the SSA recommends sunscreen with an SPF 30 or higher.
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Apply sunscreen before going outdoors and reapply often, this goes for all year round…not just the summer.
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Provide complete sunscreen coverage for your skin (including neck, ears and lips).
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For people with thin or thinning hair, apply sunscreen to the scalp as well.
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And remember stay in the shade whenever possible. I personally prefer a coffin, but trees and under shade structures work as well.
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SUN SAFETY ENTERTAINMENT DEPICTION SUGGESTIONS:
INCORPORATING SUN SAFETY INTO CREATIVE WORKS
SSA is dedicated to creating national awareness of skin cancer as an important health issue. What better way to reach millions of people than to work with the entertainment industry and news media who have the capability to communicate important health information to members of the general public.
The following points for consideration on the portrayal of sun safety and skin cancer prevention were created through a collaboration of the Sun Safety Alliance and Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. as a resource for entertainment development and production. These depiction suggestions have been provided to entertainment industry writers, directors, producers, composers, performers and creative executives to “encourage the art of making a difference.” They are not intended to limit the creative process. News and broadcast writers may also consider using these angles when writing about sun safety and skin cancer prevention.
Realistic interaction – Consider having one of your characters remind another to apply sunscreen before going outside. Doing so can add a casual, realistic element to the dialogue, making it seem less scripted.
Romantic intrigue - Let's be frank: Applying sunscreen is a good excuse to take off your characters' clothes. A little skin never hurt ratings.
Beauty is skin deep - A character might point out that the more sun exposure a person has, the more it will affect their skin health as they age. Characters who are conscious about skin health will be aware of protection from sun exposure to avoid sun spots and wrinkles.
Jerk some tears - Skin cancer often goes unnoticed until it's too late. By that time, it can be disfiguring and terribly painful. By no means is melanoma or any other skin cancer a pleasant thing - but it's incredibly common, and is not often explored onscreen.
Sun safety can be stylish – Shows like Gossip Girl currently set fashion trends for young women around America. Think about starting a trend yourself by putting your characters in a variety of hats to shield them from the sun. The same can be done with protective eyewear.
Leave 'em laughing – Reno 911 kept the laughs coming by humorously showing what could happen when you fall asleep in a tanning booth. In showing the consequences of using tanning booths, Reno 911 made a very painful situation comical and educational.
A cold burn- If you are looking for a new angle in a show set during the winter or in a snowy area, showing a character either preventing or getting a sunburn in this setting can be unique and intriguing. Sunburns can occur at any time of year and in any geographic area.
Dying for a tan - Many young women have become addicted to tanning, visiting tanning salons once or twice a week. This tanning addiction is likely to lead to premature aging and skin cancer. Having a character deal with this addiction, and having other characters stage an intervention, could put a new spin on a popular dramatic device.
Reaching out to parents- Children are particularly vulnerable to sun damage, as many schools do not provide shaded recess areas and playgrounds. Having a group of children get burnt as they play on the swings could be incorporated into a plot line involving parents taking action to protect their children
Surprise your audience- Skin cancer is usually thought of as a disease that afflicts mostly White populations but populations with darker skin tones (African American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander) are still at risk. Involving a Hispanic or African American character that has skin cancer could be unique and compelling, as audiences might not expect it
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A SALUTE TO CBS CARES!
SSA would like to commend CBS for addressing sun safety in a PSA Campaign through CBS Cares. In the PSA, CBS Cares uses humor and visuals to make a serious statement about the dangers of sun exposure. The CBS Television Network is committed to addressing numerous health and social causes to its viewing audience through the CBS Cares Campaign. Please visit http://www.cbs.com/cbs_cares/ to learn more about the CBS Cares Campaign. You can also view the sun safety PSA on the SSA homepage.
Be sure to also check out this PSA and many more videos on the Sun Safety Alliance YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/Sunsafetyalliance. With 6 videos and over 500 views you don’t want to miss out!
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EIC PRESENTS THE CENTER FOR SUN SAFETY AND SKIN CANCER PREVENTION
A unique partnership between the Sun Safety Alliance and its management organization, the Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. brings the power and influence of the entertainment industry to bear on sun safety issues. To continue its mission of providing the entertainment community with accurate resources for the depiction of health and social issues, the Entertainment and Media Communication Institute, the research and strategy-based division of the Entertainment Industries Council, Inc., has launched its new Center on Sun Safety and Skin Cancer Prevention.
This Center allows for sun safety issues to be accessed and addressed by the creative community in an accurate manner by providing creators with resource publications, briefings by a faculty of experts in both health and communication, and technical expertise through EIC’s First Draft resource service. Additionally, the Center recommends strategies to all forms of media for communicating information on sun safety and skin cancer prevention. In this manner, the Center serves as a link between research on health issues and effective means of communicating them to the public.
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COMPANIES THAT CARE: A SUN SAFE EDUCATION PROGRAM
The Sun Safety Alliance (SSA) in association with the Entertainment and Media Communication Institute (EMCI), the research and training division of the Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC), is pleased to announce a new, innovative educational program. This program is designed to recognize and support companies that display a strong commitment to sun safety and corporate responsibility: Companies That Care: A Sun Safe Education Program.
The Companies That Care: A Sun Safe Education Program is the only program of its kind that convenes experts from the medical, communication and education arenas to review, support, and reward those companies committed to educating the public about sun safety and safeguarding their health. As part of SSA’s strategic communication and social marketing efforts, this Program invites companies that keep the welfare of their consumers at the forefront of their business strategy to join together in a unique partnership focused on communicating sun safety and skin cancer prevention messages to the public.
SSA is pleased to announce collaboration with George Mason University’s Department of Communication, Chapman University Communication scholars, Jones Public Affairs, and The Center for Sun Safety and Skin Cancer Prevention to provide expertise for the program as well as to companies that join as members. Together, SSA, EIC and its collaborators are utilizing a unique partnership to bring new thinking to the field of sun safety and skin cancer prevention that emphasizes corporate responsibility, education and strategic communication.
For more information regarding the Companies That Care Program or to request membership forms call (703)-481-1414 or email info@sunsafetyalliance.org.
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SUN SAFE EDUCATION PROGRAM A SUCCESS FOR EARLY LEARNING CENTERS:
TEACHING YOUNG CHILDREN THE VALUE OF SUN SAFETY
The Sun Safety Alliance (SSA), in collaboration with Crème de la Crème Early Learning Centers of Excellence, Healthy Childcare Consultants and the Sabra Dalby Rightmire Foundation for Melanoma Education and Research, recently completed a program devoted to educating childcare staff, parents and young children, about the importance of sun safety. The Sun Safe Education Program was a success!
Key results from the program indicated:
Crème de la Crème early childhood learning centers, one of the nation’s leading pre-school education facilities, implemented the Sun Safe Education Program as a special part of their curriculum. Twenty Crème de la Crème facilities across the nation adopted the program in early 2008, providing children the opportunity to learn simple and effective sun safety behaviors through the spring and summer. The Sun Safe Education Program was designed to educate staff, parents and children about proper sun safety behaviors through implementation of a sun safety curriculum. The program included a train-the-trainer session as well as a variety of interactive activities and parent and child handouts. Crème de la Crème Executive Directors worked with SSA staff to measure the impact of this integrated program on staff and parents of children enrolled in Crème de la Crème learning centers.
Success of the Sun Safe Education Program demonstrates that educating children about sun safety can be accomplished at a young age. It is never too young to learn how to stay safe in the sun. If you are involved in an Early Childcare Center contact the Sun Safety Alliance today to learn how you can implement a Sun Safe Education Program!
For more information about the SSA Sun-Safe Early Childhood Project please contact Dr. Charlotte Hendricks at chendricks@childhealthonline.org or Alissa D’Amelio at adamelio@sunsafetyalliance.org. To view our Early Childhood Education resources, visit: www.sunsafetyalliance.org/resources.html.
Established in 1982, Crème de la Crème Early Learning Centers of Excellence a national network of early learning centers located throughout the country including Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Chicago, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Sterling, Virginia and Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. Visit www.cremedelacreme.com.
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VICTORY FOR SUN SAFETY OUTREACH:
JEFF NYGAARD AND THE 2008 AVP TOUR
Kudos to Jeff Nygaard for gaining national media awareness for sun safety and skin cancer prevention throughout the 2008 Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) Pro Beach tour! Nygaard, an Olympian volleyball player, seven-time AVP Open Champion, and melanoma survivor successfully spoke out for sun safety throughout the 18 AVP Tour stops across the U.S. Thank you Jeff, for your dedication to educating the public about how to have fun in the sun while being safe!
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SUN SAFETY IN THE NEWS
INDOOR TANNING: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A SAFE TAN
As fall is officially upon us, a time when people start to frequent tanning salons more often, the Sun Safety Alliance would like to bring your attention to the dangers involved with indoor tanning.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, more than 1 million people in the United States visit tanning salons every day. Amazingly, nearly 70 percent of those people are girls and women aged 16 to 29 years.
Young girls and women are more likely to use tanning salons for a variety of reasons. In the past, many teenagers frequented tanning salons in preparation for fall functions such as homecoming, school formals and even Halloween. However, in recent years, an increasing number of young women are spending more and more time in tanning beds year-round.
In a society where looking tan is considered to be attractive, it is inevitable that young women have been influenced to frequent tanning salons. Myths of dark tans equating to health and beauty, and the growth of the tanning industry only reinforce the popular perception that being tan makes you more desirable. Did you know that the indoor tanning industry has an estimated revenue of $5 billion , a fivefold increase since 1992; further proving the point that the tanning trend is growing in popularity.
So the question now is …what can we do?
A recent study conducted by a team from the School of Public Health at East Tennessee State University found that “giving young women educational materials about the risks of indoor tanning helps them find healthier alternatives for changing appearance.” By increasing awareness of the potential harms of indoor tanning, we can help decrease the number of tanners and therefore, lower the incidences of skin cancer in the United States.
It is important to remind young women that tan does not equal beautiful. Also keep in mind that there are many other alternatives to indoor tanning, such as sunless tanning products. Remember, you can look good and stay safe all year round without a tanning bed.
For more information contact the Sun Safety Alliance
(703) 481-1414
info@sunsafetyalliance.org
www.sunsafetyalliance.org
American Academy of Dermatology. Indoor Tanning Fact Sheet. 2008. http://www.aad.org/media/background/factsheets/fact_indoortanning.html
Time Health & Science. Why Teens Are Obsessed With Tanning. 31 July 2006.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1220506-1,00.html
Washington Post. Education Helps Women Make Safer Tanning Choices. 20 October 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/20/AR2008102000834.html
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