Puget Sound skin cancer rates among tops in nation

If you don’t think our limited exposure to sunshine is worth worrying about, think again. The Washington State Department of Health says if the Puget Sound region were a state, it would rank fourth nationally for skin cancer rates.

With summer officially underway, the state is issuing its annual warning that rain or shine, you need to protect yourself from harmful Ultraviolet (UV) rays. We’ve all heard the warnings, but many ignore them.

“It’s a problem in this state because we have so many people who either don’t think they need to or forget,” says Kelly Stowe with the state Department of Health.

UV rays are the most preventable cause of skin cancer, and are just as strong when it’s cloudy. Experts recommend frequent use of sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher whenever you are outside, and wearing hats and clothing that covers to protect exposed skin.

Even though children are rarely diagnosed with skin cancer, Stowe says researchers have tied childhood sunburns with melanoma later in life, so it’s especially important to protect kids.

“So as your sun exposure builds up over life, those sun burns as a child can cause skin cancer as an adult.”

The state has taken steps to protect kids as much as possible, banning those under 18 from using tanning beds without a written prescription from a doctor. The law took effect this month.