A Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit program offered this month aims to convince kids that a hat is where it's at.
Health unit officials say about 3,500 kids taking part in day camp programs offered this month by the YMCA and Environment Network will take part in a program called A Hat is Where It's At, developed by the local health unit and funded by the Ontario division of the Canadian Cancer Society, through the Greater Toronto Area Cancer Prevention and Screening Network.
Officials say the program is new this year but they hope more day camps will participate in the program in coming years.
Participants receive a wide-brimmed hat and craft supplies. While they decorate their personal sunhats, public health nurses Rebecca Harbridge and Christine Johnston deliver tips about how people can protect themselves from the sun.
"We felt the kids would be inclined to wear their hats more regularly if there was something fun and personal attached to them," said Harbridge.
"Plus, it is a great way to engage them in protecting themselves from too much exposure to sunlight," said Johnston.
Keeping your family safe
Sunlight is essential to life, and helps our bodies develop vitamin D. But excess exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun also damages the skin and can cause skin cancer, the most common form of cancer. Here's how you can protect your family while they are enjoying the summer sun.
• Wear hats that have brims wide enough to shade face, neck and ears from the sun.
• Use sunscreen with an SPF rating of 15 or higher.
• Use sunglasses with UVA and UVB protection.
• Wear clothing made of light, tightly woven, loose fitting fabrics that shade the legs and arms.
•Avoid direct sunlight from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., when damaging UV rays are strongest. Look for shaded areas whenever possible.
For more information about sun safety, visit www.simcoemuskokahealth.org or call Your Health Connection at 721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520 from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
