Cape Medical Corps storms the beaches

Friday, 12 August 2011 09:13

From The Barnstable Patriot -

“Death by suntan” is no exaggeration – and a national magazine chose the story of a Dowse’s Beach lifeguard who died of melanoma at age 26 to make the point.

The story of Glenna Kohl was the subject of a special report in the October 2009 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine. Melanoma, the deadliest of skin cancers, is directly related to exposure to sunlight and tanning beds and can be prevented by liberal use of sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) and protective clothing, sunglasses, and hats.

This summer, a corps of volunteers, public health interns, nurses, and other interested citizens has fanned out across Cape beaches to invite children, youth, and adults to a brief educational session and survey, with age-appropriate awards: beach balls for youngsters, T-shirts for teens, and 30-SPF lip balm for adults. Their next-to-last visit of the summer, and the only one in the Town of Barnstable, was at Craigville Beach earlier this week.

Read the rest at The Barnstable Patriot