News Conference

A Community Affair,

Practice Sun Safety Everywhere

         A community wide sun safety initiative for 2005 

Offers a Mole Assessment Clinic –

The start of several sun awareness events

for the tri county area

Contact:     Dr. D. Toth, Dermatologist,  Canadian Dermatology Association Essex County District    Representative (519) 971-7546 

Contact:     Judy Palesh, Public Health Nurse

Phone:        519 258-2146 x 3138

Fax:            519 258-6003

E-Mail:       jpalesh@wechealthunit.org 

Tuesday, March 22, 2005 

For Immediate Release – Windsor Essex, Chatham-Kent and Lambton Counties

Its time to get serious about preventing skin cancer –  Southwest partners present a mold assessment clinic to kick off a new sun safety initiative for 2005

Local media are invited to attend a news conference regarding the kick off of the joint sun safety 2005 initiative.   

The news conference is scheduled for:March 23, 2005 – 3 p.m., at Dr. D. Toth’s office,

2425 Tecumseh Rd E, Unit 210 (Corner of Walker and Tecumseh) 

At that time, the following public officials have volunteered to have their skin assessed for sun damage: 

• Jannette Gamon – Melanoma Champion
• Veronique Mandal – St Clair College and media representative
• Dave Newmann – Education representative
• Jason Moore- Media representative
• Gary McNamara - Mayor of Tecumseh & Chairperson of the Windsor Essex County               Health Unit
• Karen Hall – Media representative
• Yvonne Bendo - Chatham-Kent media representative
• Bruce Crozier - Member of Provincial Parliament

The Canadian Cancer Society reported that 76,000 new cases of common skin cancer would be diagnosed in 2004.  About 1 in 7 Canadians will get some form of skin cancer in their lifetime.   Skin cancer alone accounts for 1/3 of all cancers diagnosed in Ontario.

A local telephone survey, Rapid Risk Factor Surveillance System (RRFSS) completed in 2004, identified that 1/3 of Windsor Essex County residents had a sunburn in the last year.  The Essex, Kent and Lambton District Health Council, using age-standardized figures, reported that between 1991 and 2001, there were 39 new cases of melanoma for every 100,000 males, and 31 new cases for every 100,000 females in the tri-county area.  While melanoma can be quite deadly, other forms of skin cancer, like squamous and basal cell are highly treatable.

 A family history of skin cancer, sun exposure and the number of sun burns before the age of 12 are the strongest predictors of future incidence of skin cancer.  The good news is that most often risks can be controlled and in most cases skin cancer can be prevented.   The following recommendations can help reduce the risk of getting skin cancer:

• Reduce exposure to the sun during peak UV times – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Seek shade or make your own shade.
•  Protect arms and legs with tightly women, dark, loose fitting clothing.
• Wear a wide brimmed hat or a French Foreign Legion type hat to protect your ace, head, neck and ears.
• Keep babies under one year of age out of direct sunlight.
• Avoid exposure to artificial ultraviolet rays used by tanning salons, as they too are harmful to human health.
•  Wear sunglasses that protect the eyes from ultraviolet rays.  Look for wrap around glasses that protect the sides of your eyes and ones that are labelled as UV protective.
• Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen (UVA and UVB) with at least a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15.  Apply 15-30 minutes before going outdoors. If you will be outdoors for long periods of time, consider using a SPF of 30.  Re-apply often, at least every 2 hours and after being in the water or doing vigorous activities and sweating.

A Community Affair, Practice Sun Safety Everywhere is a community wide initiative that includes, schools, students, parents, workplaces, people who visit beaches, vacationers, pool users, parks and recreation lifeguards, and more.  This initiative reinforces the idea that students, teachers, coaches, parents, employers, employees, everyone can protect their skin or their children’s skin while still having fun outdoors.

 2005 Partners:

Windsor Essex County Health Unit

Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit

County of Lambton Community Health Services Department

Canadian Dermatology Association

Canadian Cancer Society

Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board

Greater Essex County District School Board

Optimist Clubs of Windsor

Essex County Pharmacists Association

Lambton Kent District School Board

Conseil scolaire de district des écoles catholiques du Sud-Ouest

Media packages will be available at the news conference providing

detailed information on the initiative.