 Sun
Protection Ideas for Schools |
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Children
require special protection because their skin
is thinner than adults and they are more at
risk of suffering damage from UV exposure
than adults.
One severe childhood sunburn can double the
risk of developing skin cancer later in life.
Protecting skin during the first 18 years
of life can lower the risk of developing skin
cancer by up to 78%
Why wear hats
at School
Children
are exposed to sun during the peak UV times
every day at school. This can cause sunburn,
skin damage, eye damage and an increased risk
of developing skin cancer. Our hats block
98% of UV radiation and are an excellent source
of protection for the face, ears, nose and
back of the neck.
Teaching children to play safe in the sun
from an early age is part of their education
for life. Schools are an appropriate environment
for sun safe behaviors to be taught and encouraged.
Children around the world have been wearing
sun protection hats as part of their daily
school wear for decades. In Australia, for
example, children must wear a sun protection
hat to school every day, or else they have
to play only in the shade.
As a result, skin cancer rates in Australian
adolescents have fallen due to sun protection
measures implemented in their childhood, including
wearing hats at school. This contrasts to
the United States where skin cancer rates
in adolescents is increasing, and many schools
still do not even permit the wearing of sun
protection hats.
Why wear a
hat if it isn’t sunny?
It
is UV radiation that damages skin and eyes.
UV levels are generally not related to the
temperature. Cool days can have high UV
levels. Up to 80% of the sun’s rays can
penetrate clouds and fog. Also UV radiation
and temperature reach their peaks at different
times of the day. UV is highest in the middle
of the day, while temperature is often highest
later in the afternoon. We usually only
think to apply sun screen or wear a hat
when it is hot and sunny, so making hats
a part of everyday wear at school is the
best form of sun protection for children.
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