New Public Health ad campaign warns parents of children’s skin cancer risk

A new North Carolina Public Health advertising campaign about the dangers of skin cancer from sunburn ran in newspapers across the state in May. Aimed at parents with young children, the print ads warned, “It only takes 5 sunburns to double the risk of skin cancer,” while featuring a photo of a smiling child that appeared to have been burned through to the next page of the publication. Smaller Post-It ads with the same message also were placed on the front page of newspapers.

“As the weather warms back up again, we’re all eager to get outside," said State Health Director Leah Devlin. “But what parents do today can have a lasting impact on their children’s long-term health risk, in this case in terms of skin cancer. Just take these basic steps—limit sun exposure, cover up, wear a hat and sunglasses, and always wear a sunscreen SPF 15 or higher—to help protect children and grownups from skin cancer in the years to come.”

“We chose this message because it conveys that sunburn risk is not just from the obvious times, like trips to the beach or to the lake,” said Walter Shepherd, director of the Comprehensive Cancer Program, N.C. Division of Public Health.

“Sunburn can occur any time children are exposed to the sun for more than a few minutes, whether that’s at the beach, biking with mom, or watching a sister’s soccer game, so good sun protection is always important.” The Comprehensive Cancer Program works to reduce cancer in North Carolinians by raising awareness of cancer prevention, cancer screenings, and early detection.

The ads were developed under a partnership between the North Carolina Division of Public Health’s Comprehensive Cancer Program and SunSense North Carolina.

For more information about skin cancer, call 1-800-4-CANCER.

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Last Modified: June 5, 2006