Students at Wayland High School recently won a $500 prize from the Melanoma Foundation of New England for a campaign to raise awareness about skin cancer among their classmates.
The initiative, known as Your Skin Is In, centered around getting students at the school to sign a no-tanning pledge. There is a direct link between tanning and melanoma, one of the deadliest forms of cancer.
“Teens want to believe that ‘it can’t happen to them,’ or that it’s safe to just get a ‘base tan’ before the prom or before spring break," said Deb Girard, the executive director of the Melanoma Foundation of New England, in a press release announcing the prize. "The truth is that there is no safe tan - whether in a tanning booth or outside in the sun - tanning can lead to skin cancer.”
The Your Skin Is In campaign has reached around 250,000 students. Teens and families interested in learning more about the dangers of skin cancer should visit mfne.org and watch a video entitled “Exposed,” which features young melanoma survivors discussing how sun exposure might have led to their illnesses.
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