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NEW YORK (April 29, 2003) – Children on the playground often see who can swing higher, run faster and jump farthest. But not everything on the playground is fun and games. Overexposure to the sun can occur when children are outside for long periods of time without proper sun protection. Sunburns that a child may get can have a cumulative effect on the skin and can lead to future skin cancers including melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. However, playing outside just got safer for some children and families thanks to the American Academy of Dermatology’s Sun-Safe, Play Safe Playground Initiative, which provides grants of shade structures to playgrounds to block the hazardous rays of the sun while children are outdoors.

“The number of skin cancer diagnoses each year continues to rise and dermatologists are seeing younger and younger patients with skin cancer,” said dermatologist Raymond L. Cornelison, Jr., MD, President of the American Academy of Dermatology. “There has never been a more important time to protect children from the dangers of the sun.”

Each year, the American Academy of Dermatology’s Sun-Safe, Play Safe Playground Initiative awards grants of shade structures for playgrounds across the country. The grants provide tarp-like structures which shield all equipment and those playing on it from the rays of the sun. Working with KaBOOM!™, a national nonprofit that forges public and private partnerships to create healthy play environments for children, the grants are available to organizations that have built a playground with KaBOOM!.

This year, the Academy awarded Sun-Safe, Play Safe Grants to the following organizations:

Apopka Family Learning Center, Apopka, Fla. Community Food Bank, Tucson, Ariz. Mesita Elementary School, El Paso, Texas In their grant applications, each organization demonstrated a need for sun protection, as well as a willingness to educate and promote the importance of sun safety.

According to dermatologists, children receive 80 percent of their total lifetime sun exposure by the time they turn 18. In 2003, more than 1 million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States. The earlier parents incorporate sun protection into their children’s daily activities, the lower their lifetime risk will be for developing skin cancer.

“Children are the most vulnerable to the rays of the sun because of the amount of time they spend outdoors. These shade structures over playgrounds could ultimately save lives,” said Dr. Cornelison. “It is the Academy’s hope that these sun-safe playgrounds will serve as national models, encouraging others to incorporate sun protected areas into playgrounds throughout the country.”

Since 1999, the AAD has underwritten innovative efforts to protect children from sun exposure while at play. It built the nation’s first “sun-safe” playground in 1999, working with KaBOOM!, and since 2000, the AAD has awarded nine Sun-Safe, Play Safe shade structure grants to enhance existing playgrounds.

Press release issued by the American Academy of Dermatology
aad.org

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