Okanagan cities are summertime hotspots and that brings some risks.
The biggest risk is the very thing that prompts people to flock to the region’s beaches in droves — the sun.
With that in mind, Penticton is among the B.C. cities proclaiming May as Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month and placing sunscreen dispensers at key locations.
“As the temperatures rise, we often think about ways to stay cool and that’s important. Just as vital, though, is making sure you’re protecting your skin by having the right sunscreen and applying it,” Penticton mayor Julius Bloomfield said.
“We’re grateful for the educational work of Save Your Skin and thankful for the free sunscreen dispensers they have put out at hot spots around the community.”
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Sunscreen dispensers in Penticton will be available for public use at Tourism Penticton, the Penticton Chamber of Commerce, Barefoot Beach Resort, Skaha Meadows Golf Course and Penticton Speedway.
The dispensers are automatic and touchless, and provide free, Health Canada approved SPF 30 sunscreen for anyone who needs it. The sunscreen is zinc oxide based, free from chemical sunscreen filters, common allergens and toxic ingredients including oxybenzone, avobenzone, retinyl palminate, PEG, parfume, and sodium lauryl sulphate.
“Studies show that young people still aren’t taking sun safety seriously despite incidence rates rising every year,” said Kathy Barnard, a stage 4 melanoma survivor and founder of Save Your Skin Foundation.
“Skin cancer can be deadly, but it is also highly preventable.”
In 2022, over 80,000 Canadians were diagnosed with skin cancer. If those 8,700 were new melanoma cases. Over 1,300 lost their lives to melanoma. Despite these figures, Canadians are spending more time in the sun without taking recommended precautions.
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