WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Skin cancer on the rise in Washington

 Last week, the Washington state Department of Health released startling statistics on the prevalence of melanoma in our state. Despite our infamous gray skies and rainy days, Washingtonians rank fourth in the nation for skin cancer.

As temperatures begin to rise, the Department of Health recommends several common sense measures to protect you and your family and lower your risk.

You can help prevent skin cancer by using sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher; staying in the shade, especially during midday hours; covering skin with clothing that covers your arms and legs or a hat with a wide brim to shade your face, head, ears and neck.

More on that tomorrow……

According to the Department of Health, “…sunburns in childhood are associated with melanoma later in life.” Furthermore, the Center for Disease Control reports that indoor tanning before the age of 35 increases your risk of melanoma by 75%.

Last spring, House Democrats took action to help keep our children safe. We passed, and Governor Inslee signed, legislation to ban the use of tanning beds for Washingtonians under the age of 18. This change will lower the risk of our children developing melanoma and save lives.