Daylight Saving: Sunlight Warning

Media release
5 October 2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Daylight Saving: Sunlight Warning

Daylight saving – it’s an extra hour of sunlight in your day – and an extra hour you should be aware of protecting your skin from damaging UV radiation warns the Cancer Society.

“Most people see putting their clocks forward at the end of spring as a sign that long summer days are on their way. But summer days aren’t just longer, the sun is also stronger,” says Cancer Society Health Promotion Manager Liz Price.

So people planning to spend more time outdoors should also be planning ways to make that time safe for themselves and their families.

“New Zealand’s skin cancer statistics are horrifying. Each year, around 200 people die from melanoma and there are 1800 new cases, plus 50 deaths and over 65,000 cases of other forms of skin cancer. The major cause, over-exposure to the sun, can be easily avoided,” Ms Price says.

“While using sunscreen is a good start, some people don’t use enough and forget that they need to reapply it. So we recommend people also seek out the shade wherever possible, wear a hat with a wide brim, sunglasses and cool, loose fitting clothing.”

In other words she says, the Cancer Society reinforces the need this summer to “slip (on a shirt), slop (on some sunscreen), slap (on a hat), and wrap (on some sunglasses)” and to seek out the shade.

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