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Site Map Workplace | Home/Community | Environment | |
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Sun Safety
| Health
Effects of UV Radiation
Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month Risks from Overexposure to UV Radiation Preventing Harmful Effects of the Sun Sun Safety Activity Guide (available as PDF files) |
With one in five Americans developing skin cancer, childhood education about sun safety is a vital step toward reducing risk and improving public health. The National Safety Council is helping to address this serious health issue by providing fact sheets and educational outreach programs to parents, teachers, and others nationwide. Overexposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays seriously threatens human health. Besides the immediate effect of sunburn, over time excess UV radiation can cause skin cancer, eye damage, immune system suppression, and premature aging. Children are highly susceptible to harmful UV radiation. About 23 percent of lifetime sun exposure occurs before the age of 18. Just one or two blistering sunburns in childhood may double the risk of developing melanoma. Teaching children about sun safety is the key to reducing the risk of future health problems. The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that sunbed use poses a risk of skin cancer, and that no person under 18 years of age should use a sunbed. It is known that young people who get burnt from exposure to UV will have a greater risk of developing melanoma later in life, and recent studies demonstrate the direct link between the use of sunbeds and cancer.
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February 21, 2006 |
