PPSI - Skin Cancer pharmacists planning service, inc. With increased education about sun exposure, outdoor lovers and children can reduce their chance of skin cancer. Summer is drawing near, and adults and children alike are spending more and more time outdoors. However, the sun's ultraviolet rays can put a damper on the outdoor fun. Increased sun exposure now can mean an increased risk of skin cancer later in life, health officials warn.
Children especially are at risk.
Most children rack up 50 to 80 percent of their lifetime sun exposure before age 18. One bad sunburn can double a child's risk of later developing skin cancer. The good news is that skin cancers can be prevented. Seventy percent of sun damage is from casual sun exposure that happens when kids are riding their bikes or playing in the school yard. It's important for parents to make sunscreen a habit, just like washing hands and wearing a seatbelt.