Editorial Roundup: South Carolina

Post and Courier. June 6, 2023.

Editorial: Remember when youre outdoors, youve got skin in the game

Summer is a favorite time of year for many to head outdoors, but its also an important time to remain mindful of risks that arrive along with warmer temperatures, guarding against heat stroke and heat exhaustion, following proper swimming, boating and other water safety practices and remembering not to leave children or pets in a parked car.

We also must be mindful of one of the greatest long-term risks this season brings: sun-related skin damage that eventually can lead to skin cancer, our nations most common form of cancer and one that eventually will strike 1 of every 5 of us.

The good news is we can prevent this damage by being cautious and applying sunscreen. The bad news is too many of us dont. As The Post and Couriers Tom Corwin reports, only about 12% of men and 29% of women bother to apply sunscreen to their bodies when theyre going to be outside for more than an hour on a sunny day, according to a 2020 National Center for Health Statistics survey. (Slightly more, 18% of men and 43% of women, regularly apply sunscreen to their face.)