Snow, sun a clandestine skin hazard

This winter, throngs of Boston College students will flock to the slopes in search of thrills and fun in the snow. While the dangers of skiing are well documented, it's time to add a new threat to that list: UV radiation. It has become increasingly apparent that even on the snowy trails and windy ski lifts, the sun's rays pose a dangerous threat, and protection against it is of utmost importance.

On Thursday, Dr. Peter Anderson of San Diego State University gave a lecture to a packed auditorium of BC students. He discussed his involvement in the Go Sun Smart Campaign, and the group's goals and methods. His main point over the course of the presentation was the necessity of wearing sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses when skiing or snowboarding.

Anderson presented a stark collection of statistics about skin cancer. This year, there will be an estimated 1.2 million new cases of skin cancer diagnosed, and nearly 10,000 of them will end in death, Anderson said. Of the 9,900 fatal cases of skin cancer in the United States, 7,700 of them will be caused by the most dangerous form of skin cancer, melanoma. Anderson also pointed to a 9 percent increase in diagnosed cases of melanoma from 2000 to 2001. One in 71 Americans, Anderson said, face the risk of developing melanoma over his or her lifetime.

According to.Anderson, the correlation between skin cancer and skiing is rather simple. First, he said, engaging in any outdoor activity over long stretches of time puts the participant in danger. Second - and less intuitively - the smooth surface of the snow reflects the UV rays, sending them back toward the unsuspecting skiers and snowboarders.The Go Sun Smart campaign, which started at ski resorts in the Rockies and spread east across the United States and Canada, targets an audience that includes ski-lift operators, ski instructors, and other outdoor workers at ski resorts, Anderson said. The campaign used a technique called "soft fear," which combines humor and fear in an effort to convince the target audience to utilize sun-safety products.

Another key audience were children participating in ski school programs traditionally offered by ski resorts, Anderson said. The motivation behind this initiative, he said, was to teach children sun-safe practices while they're young so they can grow up practicing safe habits regularly.

The most difficult demographic to convince of the necessity of practicing sun safety, Anderson said, was women. Women often decline from wearing hats, which can play a large role in fighting UV radiation. Also, young white males are typically averse to wearing sunscreen - they believe they are indestructible.

When I ski, I generally don't use sunscreen," said Marina Pardee, A&S '11. Many BC students engage in winter sports regularly, and could come to serious harm if they don't take precautions against skin cancer when they hit the slopes.