Skin Smart Campus

05/24/2025

05/23/2025

Thank you Governor Greg Gianforte and the state of Montana for recognizing the importance of skin cancer prevention with a 2025 Don’t Fry Day Proclamation! This is the SEVENTH Don't Fry Day Proclamation for the state of Montana; we greatly appreciate your continued commitment to spreading skin cancer awareness and encouraging Montanans to protect their skin. Thank you to Karrie Fairbrother, BSN, RN, DNC, CDCES, for working with the Governor's Office on the proclamation process.

Happy Don’t Fry Day! 🎉 Sending wishes for a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend! 👒 🕶 ⛱

Montana Cancer Coalition
Lewis and Clark Public Health
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
Public Health In The 406
American Academy of Dermatology
Dermatology Nurses' Association
Cancer Support Community Helena
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network - ACS CAN
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Montana - ACS CAN
Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies The Montana Coalition
St. Peter's Health
St. Peter's Health Foundation
PureView Health Center
Montana Community Foundation
Melanoma Research Foundation

05/05/2025

Today, Melanoma Monday, we honor all those whose lives have been touched by skin cancer. 🖤 We are inspired by the tireless work of fellow advocates and warriors; so many in this community carry the memories of beloved family members and friends as we continue to promote prevention, spread awareness, and support research. Our hearts are with all of you, and we thank you for your unwavering dedication to this important cause. Your advocacy saves lives!

03/11/2025

We were thrilled to honor Miami Dade College - West Campus as a Skin Smart Campus in December 2024. A special thank you to Marilu Chavez of Miggy's Gift Melanoma Awareness for bringing the SSC initiative to MDC. We couldn't have done this without you!

We also want to thank Marilyn Del Orbe Silva, Director of Community Engagement & Growth, and the students of the Venezuelan Student Society. This was truly a group effort!

Thank you, all, for your commitment to skin cancer prevention!

Oops we did it again!
Miami Dade College West Campus has earned the "Platinum Level Skin Smart Campus Award" with the guidance and assistance of Miggy's Gift and National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention.
We are exited these students understand the importance of skin cancer prevention and urgency of early detection.
Let's give them a big round of applause and thank them for their leadership and commitment.
West Campus has joined Medical Campus with this distinction!
Pictured is Marilyn Del Orbe Silva, Director of Community Engagement & Growth with students of the Venezuelan Student Society.
Miami Dade College - West CampusMiami Dade College FoundationMiami Dade College - Medical CampusBaptist Health FoundationBaptist Health FoundationMelanoma Action CoalitionNational Council on Skin Cancer Prevention

02/07/2025

We are proud to announce that Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine became a Skin Smart Campus on December 27, 2024. Congratulations!

Thanks to the hard work of third-year medical student Rebecca Hicks, Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine has earned the prestigious platinum-level Skin Smart Campus designation from the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention! 🏆

Rebecca’s passion for dermatology and commitment to skin cancer prevention will make a lasting impact on our campus. This recognition underscores her dedication to educating our community on the importance of sun safety, early detection and long-term skin health.

“We are proud to be recognized as a Skin Smart Campus and grateful to Rebecca for her leadership in making this possible,” said Dermatology Chair Shane Cook, MD.

As part of the initiative, the School of Medicine plans to implement further educational programs and partnerships to raise awareness about skin cancer prevention, including the installation of new sunscreen dispensers and upcoming initiatives to promote skin health and sun safety. The goal is to empower students and staff to make informed decisions about their skin health and inspire a culture of wellness across the School of Medicine. 🌞

🔗 Learn more: bit.ly/3WuFSJs

01/23/2025

Congratulations! On December 19, 2024, Wake Forest University School of Medicine became a Skin Smart Campus!

Skin Smart Campus 😎 The School of Medicine has been recognized as a Skin Smart Campus by the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention (NCSCP).

As a Skin Smart Campus, we prioritize the well-being of our students by keeping indoor tanning devices off campus and promoting skin cancer prevention policies and education. Did you know? Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the U.S., and using indoor tanning facilities before age 35 increases the risk of melanoma by 75%.

Join us in celebrating this achievement and our commitment to a healthier, safer campus!

01/23/2025

Sharing this insightful paper that analyzes indoor tanning regulation bills in US state legislatures from 1992-2023. You will recognize many National Council members and friends in the byline!

From the article:

"Indoor tanning is regulated by both state legislation and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations. Laws restricting indoor tanning have been enacted in several states. An FDA regulation to ban indoor tanning by minors was originally proposed in 2015 but later was paused during the first Trump administration and has still not been finalized. Research on the process of how policy efforts translate into actual state indoor tanning laws is limited, mainly focused on describing existing laws and consequences of outlawing indoor tanning facilities in certain states or US regions. Indoor tanning regulations may have contributed to the recent decrease in indoor tanning prevalence among adolescents.

Using legal mapping methods that involved collecting and coding content of all available state indoor tanning legislation in 50 US states, the District of Columbia (DC), and Puerto Rico, we sought to address 3 primary research objectives:

(1) to describe the progression of state indoor tanning legislation (i.e., enacted or failed)

(2) to detail the content and stringency of bills with special attention to whether bills banned indoor tanning by minors (i.e., individuals aged younger than 18 years, hereafter “under-18 ban”)

(3) to explore the potential impact of political party affiliation of state government leadership when bills were proposed.
..The large proportion of under-18 bans in states across the political spectrum suggests a “tipping point” has been achieved, which may motivate other states or the FDA to prohibit minors from using indoor tanning facilities. Some advocates contemplate expanding restrictions on indoor tanning. New York recently considered, but did not enact, a ban on individuals aged younger than 21 years. Similar age restrictions on to***co, alcohol, and gambling may make under-21 indoor tanning bans less controversial. Three countries outlawed all commercial indoor tanning facilities, as recommended by the World Health Organization, but whether US legislators or the public would find this is acceptable is uncertain. Unless an FDA ban is finalized, further restrictions will be incremental, but the under-18 bans in almost half of US states may have laid the foundation for such efforts."

Read here: https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2024.30789

🖤 Thank you to everyone who worked on this important study. We appreciate you!

01/09/2025

Congratulations, Parsa and Memorial University, Newfoundland and Labrador!

We are delighted to announce Parsa Abdi as the recipient of the 2024 David Cornfield Melanoma Fund Recognition Award. Established in 2019, this annual award recognizes excellence in melanoma prevention, awareness and support.

As a medical school student at Memorial University, Newfoundland and Labrador and a keen advocate for sun safety, Parsa has stepped up to raise awareness of skin cancer prevention on campus. Parsa was instrumental in establishing Memorial University as the first Skin Smart Campus in Canada, earning recognition from the U.S. National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention. Through this initiative, Parsa founded SunSafe NL (Newfoundland and Labrador)and developed comprehensive resources and educational programs that have profoundly impacted the local community’s approach to UV protection and skin health.

Under Parsa’s leadership, Memorial University has integrated sun safety into student wellness kits and hosted numerous outreach events, including educational seminars and interactive booths. A cornerstone of SunSafe NL, and the Skin Smart Campus program is the installation of sunscreen dispensers across all Memorial University campuses, including Grenfell, Signal Hill, Labrador, St. John’s, and the Marine Institute. This pan-campus initiative aims to make sun protection as accessible as hand sanitizers, cultivating a culture of proactive sun safety among students, faculty, and staff.

Parsa’s passion for melanoma prevention is fueled by a belief in the power of education to save lives. He is motivated by the potential to make a tangible difference in communities through innovative strategies and collaborations, ensuring that everyone—regardless of their background—has access to the knowledge and resources needed to combat skin cancer. Parsa’s efforts are particularly valuable as melanoma is increasing at a faster rate in Newfoundland and Labrador than in any other region in Canada.

“I am deeply humbled and honored to receive this award, which reflects the collective efforts of so many. I am especially grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with organizations and individuals equally passionate about educating and empowering people to take control of their skin health. As melanoma rates remain a concern in the Atlantic provinces and beyond, I look forward to continuing the work of advancing equitable access to prevention strategies and education, particularly in underserved communities." says Parsa Abdi.

We commend Parsa Abdi for his outstanding leadership and unwavering dedication to melanoma prevention. Thank you Parsa and congratulations on this well-deserved award!