Grease up and go

Next Friday, students throughout the region will trade in their books for two months of kicking, throwing, hitting, and free play, under what many are praying will be sunny skies.

So far, it's been less than 100 per cent co-operative, coming from Mother Nature.

A few good days, mixed with cold, windy, wet and dreary conditions doesn't bode well for outdoor activities, but maybe that's about to change. Let's hope so, so the kids can get out to play.

And believe me, there's plenty to do. Just look at the number of participants there are in the various minor sports and recreation programs throughout central Newfoundland.

This brings forth the importance of protecting our children as they head out into what will hopefully bright sunny skies, and even if it's not, then protection is also important.

Of course, everyone takes the precaution of suiting their children out with the proper equipment for play, whether it be shin guards, batting helmets, or knee pads and elbow pads.

However, there's one aspect of protection that may be overlooked a lot of times, especially when it comes to the 10-16 age group, and that's protection from the sun's rays.

Statistics show that we receive a substantial amount of our lifetime sun exposure as children and young adults - somewhere between 50-80 per cent of their lifetime of sun exposure before age 18. Exposure to the sun's rays is considered a key risk factor for melanoma - the most dangerous kind of skin cancer, because it can be lethal. And more teenagers and young adults are being diagnosed with skin cancer than ever before, including a rise in melanoma.

Experts say that just one blistering sunburn in childhood is estimated to double the risk of getting melanoma later in life. The flip side of this is that if sunburns are prevented in kids, skin cancer and death from skin cancer should decrease.

When it comes to minor sports, some preventable measures are hard to control due to the nature of the sport, but sunscreen is one that parents and teenagers should be using all the time. It doesn't interfere with any activity that takes place in a sport, but provides good protection from the sun's harmful rays.

An important fact to remember is to use sunscreen with a SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or higher. The SPF measures the length of time a product protects against skin reddening from the sun's ultraviolet B rays (UVB), compared to how long the skin takes to redden without protection.

For example, if it takes 20 minutes without protection to begin reddening, using an SPF 15 sunscreen theoretically prevents reddening 15 times longer or approximately five hours. Actually, it may take up to 24 hours after sun exposure for redness to become visible.

Everyone is reminded that to maintain the SPF, sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours and right after swimming.

So here's some advice, make sure the kids are greased up. After all, they will be spending hours in the sun, and no matter how fast they can run, they won't escape those UV rays.

It's also important to be aware that even with the ideal sunscreen, some UV rays can get through to your skin and cause damage. Sunscreen is only one part of a comprehensive sun protection program, and includes sun-protective clothing, sunglasses, shade, and sun avoidance 10 a.m.-4 p.m., as other important components.

Also, don't forget to stay hydrated - drink lots of water.

Here's wishing everyone, young or old, an enjoyable summer of fun. And for those organizing activities and events, remember to let us at The Charter know, and we'll see what we can do to get some coverage on the event.