Ambassadors spread summer safety message

Cancer Society SunSmart ambassadors will be out and about in Rotorua spreading the SunSmart message and reminding everyone to slip, slop, slap and wrap this summer.
They will be handing out free sunscreen and information and selling further SunSmart resources, including 100 per cent UV protective umbrellas.
Cancer Society staff will also be at racing meetings as well as other events and beaches across Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Coromandel until January 31.
As well as having a presence at such events, they will have Undercover Cody goody bags to hand out to children to encourage them to slip, slop, slap and wrap. Skin cancer prevention co-ordinator Catriona Findlay said the summer promotions were about giving people access to shade and sunscreen, as well as important information about skin cancer and its prevention.
"We want it to be as easy as possible for people to stay safe in the sun while they're at the beach or an event, whether it be the races, a food festival, a market day or a music event," she said. "The ultimate aim of these summer and beach promotions is to reduce the incidence of skin cancer in our communities." Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in New Zealand with over 45,000 new cases every year.
In New Zealand nearly 300 people die each year from melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer.
"The good news is over 90 per cent of skin cancers are caused by overexposure to the sun so can be prevented," Ms Findlay said.