With a brief warm up this week, sunscreen becomes more vital to protect everyone’s skin.
Greene County Public Health recently received an annual grant with the Iowa Cancer Consortium and Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to provide free 80-gallon containers of sunblock to be used throughout the county. GCPH Director Becky Wolf says the American Academy of Dermatology estimates about 9,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every day, and the most common type of skin cancer is melanoma because it can spread to other parts of the body.
Wolf suggests using the five “s” when it comes to preventing skin cancer: Slip on lightweight, light-colored clothing that covers arms and legs, Slop on sunscreen with an SPF of 30 and reapply every two hours if constantly outside, Slap on a tightly woven hat with a wide brim, Seek shade or shelter, especially during the peak sun hours of 10am-4pm; and Slide on UV-blocking sunglasses to protect eyes.
Locations of where free sunblock is offered:
- Municipal swimming pools in Jefferson and Grand Junction
- Home-based daycares, The Children’s Center, Natural Wonders Learning Center and Paton-Churdan Early Learning Center
- Summer reading programs at each library
- Jefferson: Main Street Matters
- Dental offices of Dr. James Teusch and Dr. Keith Van Beek
- Greene County Medical Center and Family Medicine Clinic
- McFarland Clinic
- Medicap and Hy-Vee pharmacies
- Daubendiek disc golf course
- RAGBRAI