vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Air and Radiation
(6205J)
EPA430-H-02-001
August 2002
www.epa.gov/sunwise
Did you know
... that the majority of your child's lifetime
sun exposure occurs before he or she
graduates from high school?
... that any change in the natural color of
your child's skin after time outside indicates
damage from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays?
... that all people, regardless of skin or eye
color, are equally at risk for eye damage from
overexposure to the sun?
The Environmental Protection Agency's SunWise School Program needs you to help reinforce the important
sun safety messages your child is learning in school. You can help your son or daughter learn the difference
between being SunWise and SunFooIish by...
-.&- Being SunWise yourself! Children learn from the behavior you model.
--&- Always having and using a sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15. Make sure a
bottle of SPF 15+ sunscreen is easily available year-round. It's not just for days at the beach!
*Y~ Reminding your children to follow these SunWise action steps:
' \
Limit Time in
the Midday Sun
Cover Up
Seek Shade
Wear Sunglasses
that Block 99-100%
of UV Radiation
Always Use Sunscreen
(Keep in mind, using sunscreen
does not mean it is safe to
spend more time in the sun.)
' l\
Avoid Sunlamps and
Tanning Parlors
Wear a Hat
Watch for the
UV Index
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Are you SunWise or SunFoolish?
TRUE OR FALSE?
1, The thicker the ozone layer, the more it protects us from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays True False
2, Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are chemicals that are eating away at the ozone layer. True False
3, Ozone layer damage is permanent True False
4, Sun protection isn't needed on cloudy days because clouds block ultraviolet rays True False
5, I can get a safe tan in a tanning parlor True False
6, Early morning and late afternoons are the worst times for exposure to UV rays True False
7, UV rays are blocked by cold weather. True False
8, African Americans and Latinos don't need to worry about sun damage to their skin True False
9, UV rays can damage your eyes True False
10, A blistering sunburn when you're young can greatly increase your risk of skin cancer. True False
11, You should always choose sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or greater . . .True False
12, The key to protecting your skin and eyes is to keep them covered True False
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HOW DID YOU DO?
Give yourself 1 point for each correct answer. If you scored...
10-12 points:
YOU'RE SUNWISE! Make sure you use
your "SunWisdom" when you're outside!
6-9 points: 0-5 points:
YOU'RE SUN-SO-SO. You know some YOU'RE SUNFOOLISH. Watch out -
of the basics, but need some brushing up. what you don't know CAN hurt you!
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SunWise SunScramble
—
Unscramble the circled letters to find the SunWise word:
Cross Word Puzzle Clues
ACROSS:
1. Overexposure to the sun can cause skin
cancer, eye damage, and these
2. UV stands for .
3. A natural source of sun protection
4. Naturally occurring gas that is found in
two layers of the atmosphere
5. Type of dangerous ultraviolet radiation
associated with sunlamps in tanning parlors
DOWN:
1. The gas from CFCs that attacks ozone
2. EPA school program that promotes sun safety
3. may reduce UV levels, but
not completely
4. Eye damage that occurs as a result of
sun overexposure
5. The most serious form of skin cancer
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SunWise Facts
How Can Too Much Sun Harm You?
It's fun to play in the sun, but did you know that too much sun can be dangerous?
If you've ever had a painful sunburn, you've experienced one of the harmful
effects of overexposure to the sun's ULTRAVIOLET (UV) RADIATION.
In addition to causing premature and excessive wrinkling of the skin, overexposure
to UV can cause more serious health effects, too, such as skin cancer and eye damage,
including cataracts.
Young people are particularly at risk of overexposure, since most of the average
person's lifetime exposure happens before the age of 18.
The good news is that UV-related health effects are largely preventable by establishing
sun protection habits while you're young and staying sun-safe throughout your life.
Why Is Being SunWise Even More Important
Now Than When Your Parents Were Your Age?
To answer this question, you need to know a little about the
earth's environment.
The OZONE layer is a thin shield in the atmosphere that protects
us from the sun. It wraps all the way around the Earth, and can
be found about 10 to 30 miles straight up.
From the beginning of time, the OZONE layer has blocked much of
the sun's dangerous UV rays from reaching us, and it continues to
keep UV RADIATION from harming life on the planet.
The ozone layer's big enemy is CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS, or
"CFCs." CFCs are chemicals humans invented and use
in things like refrigerators and air conditioners. CFCs
only become harmful when they leak into the air. The
CHLORINE in CFCs eats away at the ozone layer. As the
OZONE layer gets thinner, more and more harmful UV
RAYS reach the Earth's surface. That's not only bad for
humans, but also for plants and animals. It can cause a chain
reaction among many things that live and breathe in the oceans
or on land: if tiny fish and plants that are on the bottom of the
food chain are destroyed or damaged by the UV RAYS, bigger
fish and animals that rely on these smaller things for food could
starve and die, too.
Humans are taking steps to reduce the amount of CFCs that leak into the
atmosphere. This should help "repair" the ozone layer, but unfortunately that
could take years. In the meantime, the OZONE LAYER is thinner, and more
harmful UV RAYS are reaching you than when your parents were your age.
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Don't Waif Til It's Too Late
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