Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Here Comes The Sun: Outdated Sunscreens Pose Dangerous Risks For Skin Cancer
Dermatologist Steve Wang treats skin-cancer patients all day at a Sloan Kettering hospital in New Jersey, so he knows better than most that U.S. sunscreens arent up to the job. The oily stuff Americans are slathering on before heading to the beach this summer probably wont give them as much protection as the products sold in other countries. Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada: All have sunscreens that do a better job shielding against cancer-causing skin damage, and feel better on the skin, too. (Kaskey, 5/25)
The next time you head to the drugstore to buy sunscreen, dont forget to pick up some sunglasses, too. Thats because both products work to protect your body from the suns damaging ultraviolet rays. Wearing sunglasses for protection should not be reserved for sunny summer days, says Dianna Seldomridge, spokeswoman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and practicing eye doctor at Duke University. Theres UV light on cloudy days and during other seasons of the year anytime its daytime. Its important to protect your eyes all year round, she says. (Adams, 5/26)
Its well known that a car parked outside on a hot summers day can turn into a scorching oven. But how much time does it take for the inside of a car to heat up to deadly temperatures? The answer can be a matter of life and death. Every year in the United States, an average of 37 children die after being left in hot cars, according to researchers of a new study, published online last week in the journal Temperature. To investigate the matter, researchers studied how long it takes different types of cars to heat up on hot days. The findings were sobering: Within one hour, the temperature inside a car parked in the sun on a day that reached 95 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter hit an average of 116 degrees. (Geggel, 5/27)