Editorial: Pale is Good - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

Editorial: Pale is Good

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By Collin R. Gaston - bio | email

  • Editorials

  • Thursday, May 16 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-16 23:20:04 GMT
    In my editorial on Tuesday I chided our legislators for being the last state to pass a no-brainer  bill legalizing home brewing.  Today I want to challenge them to be one of the first states to pass another no-brainer;
    In my editorial on Tuesday I chided our legislators for being the last state to pass a no-brainer  bill legalizing home brewing.  Today I want to challenge them to be one of the first states to pass another no-brainer;

  • Tuesday, May 14 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-14 23:20:07 GMT
    Kudos, or perhaps, cheers to the Alabama Legislature for passing HB9, the home brewing bill. Legalized home brewing may not be up there with education reform or prison funding, but it was overdue. 
    Kudos, or perhaps, cheers to the Alabama Legislature for passing HB9, the home brewing bill. Legalized home brewing may not be up there with education reform or prison funding, but it was overdue. 

  • Thursday, May 9 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-09 23:20:06 GMT
    What was the old Pan-Am gas station at the corner of Bibb and Coosa is now no longer.  Last weekend that landmark was demolished with nothing remaining where it once stood other than the outline of a foundation. What
    What was the old Pan-Am gas station at the corner of Bibb and Coosa is now no longer.  Last weekend that landmark was demolished with nothing remaining where it once stood other than the outline of a foundation. What
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MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) -

With school letting out and families heading to beach and lakes this summer I thought it was worthwhile to remind everyone to take the necessary precautions when out in the sun.   A sunburn or deep dark tan should not be something you strive for in the coming months because in the coming years it might very well result in skin cancer.

Here are some staggering facts:

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than 3.5 million skin cancers in over two million people are diagnosed annually.

Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon.

Over the past 31 years, more people have had skin cancer than all other cancers combined.

One person dies of melanoma every hour.

So what can you do – your best defense is to buy a high-quality sunscreen product with an SPF of 15 or higher and check its ingredients to make sure it offers broad-spectrum protection.  Finally, look for The Skin Cancer Foundation's Seal of Recommendation, which guarantees that a sunscreen product meets the highest standards for safety and effectiveness.

I wish someone had told me about the dangers of the sun when I was a teen growing up in South Florida surfing in the ocean without any sun protection or regard for the damage I was causing.  This one inch scar on my forehead from the removal of skin cancer just last year is a constant reminder that pale is the new tan.