Leading the Sun Smart charge at Ashburton College (from left) sports committee member, Year 13 student Kotiti Patea, Cancer Society Health promotor Mandy Casey, sports committee member, Year 12 student Cathleen Anderson and college sports co-ordinator Darion Gray. Photo suppliedSummer is just over the horizon, and so is the need to be smart about protecting your skin when you head outdoors, says Ashburton’s Cancer Society health promoter Mandy Casey.

With more than 4000 New Zealanders diagnosed with either melanoma in situ or invasive melanoma every year, Casey said the Sun Smart message can never be repeated often enough.

“For every sunburn you get as a kid, it increases your risk of melanoma later on.

“It messes with your DNA, so the message is simple – seek shade, wear protective clothing, a hat and sunglasses and wear sunscreen.”

Another important Sun Smart tool was to have the UV app on your phone, and this would provide current UV levels and was another good awareness tool, Casey said.

Around 70 per cent of people with melanoma were over 50, but that did not mean younger people were immune.

It accounted for nearly 80 per cent of all skin cancer deaths and in a year more than 350 Kiwis die of melanoma.

While sun hats, sunscreen and sun shelters are now part of school campuses, when it comes to sports days, there needed to be plenty of reminders to apply and reapply sunscreen, she said.

The Cancer Society has a number of sun screen spikes and gazebos that schools use on sports days, but the goal is for as many schools as possible to have their own supply of sunscreen spikes.

And this week to kickstart the summer Sun Smart campaign, Casey donated a spike to Ashburton College.

This year’s campaign will also include the installation of sun protection information boards at every outdoor pool in the district.

Funds for the spike were raised by the society’s volunteers.

The spike will be added to the school’s store of outdoor equipment and will be well used on sports days and at outdoor events, the school’s sports co-ordinator Darion Gray said.

Sun hats are compulsory at most primary and intermediate schools and while caps and bucket hats are part of the college’s official uniform, it is not compulsory to wear these.

By Sue Newman © The Ashburton Guardian - 23 October 2020