Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • September 2015
27
Marching Band and Sun . . .
A Dangerous Combination!
Thomas V. Jenkins
Despite political pros and cons
about global warming, greenhouse
gasses and opinions of pundits,
climatologists have been measuring
the intensity of solar UVA and UVB
rays since 1980 and they report
an annual increase of 3.4%. That
means that in 2015 the intensity of
the sun’s rays is 119% greater than
in 1980.
A perfect positive correlation
exists between increased solar
intensity and
skin cancer
. So, with
the increase in the sun’s intensity
there has also been an increase in
skin cancer.
Every
nation in the
world reports a continuing increase
in skin cancer according to the
World Health Association. It is
epidemic! If contagious…it would
be pandemic.
Some two million Americans
will have skin cancer during 2015.
Those numbers only portend
increases for the future. The Center
for Disease Control, the American
Cancer Society, the Skin Cancer
Foundation, the American Medical
Association and other learned
groups predict 1 in 5 Americans will
get skin cancer depending on where
they live. Most alarming, according
to the Texas Medical Association,
is that 1 in 3 Texans will get skin
cancer…because of
where we are
.
To the point: Melanoma and
Squamous Cell Carcinoma are
the most dangerous kinds of skin
cancer. Johns Hopkins Medical
College reports Melanoma is the
most common cancer in young
adults. Yale College School of
Medicine reports Melanoma is now
the most common cancer in women
ages 25-29 and is the biggest killer
of young girls under 20. Now we’re
getting close to the truth in the title
of this article. What we think of as
a benign activity in the past is now
and will continue, unabated to be
quite dangerous.
The effects of exposure to the
sun are long reaching and arguably
may be cumulative. If an individual
ever experiences a sun burn he/
she will probably have skin cancer
during his/her lifetime! Sun screens
were developed in 1949. Prior to
that time, there was no protection.
Evidence of these statements can be
seen in the number of elderly people
in the offices of dermatologists all
over the world.
One marching band rehearsal or
one holiday parade can cause misery
for a person in the years to come.
So, it is not just wise but imperative
for every band member to protect
themselves. How? By making the
application of a good sunscreen
on the parts of the body that will
be exposed to the sun…every day!
This demands a severe behavior
modification. For everybody! Every
day! For the rest of your life!
If I have your attention, let
us address the criteria of a good
sunscreen. Start with the label. It
must read “Broad Spectrum”. That
means that the product protects
against both the UVA and UVB rays
of the sun. It must also contain
an SPF rating of at least 30. SPF
stands for Solar (sun) Protective
Factor. Why 30? An SPF rating of
30 will give approximately 98%
protection for up to five hours in
the sun. Ratings in excess of 30 are
available…at a cost. Usually the cost
is significant while the protection of
2% is not. The choice is debatable.
While on the subject of the SPF, is
there such a thing as a natural SPF?
The answer is yes! Fair skinned,
blue-eyed blondes will burn after
as few as ten minutes in the sun
unprotected. Darker skinned people
enjoy a little more exposure before
burning. Skin cancer is color blind,
however. Even those with the
darkest skin will burn after varying
amounts of time in the sun and are
very much in danger of severe skin
cancer.
A lotion is the most desirable
sunscreen. It is easier to apply
and gives better coverage. Aerosol
sunscreens may be inviting but are
dangerous. The propellant is most
often flammable and many people
have been severely burned after
exposure to outdoor grills or other
flames following the application of
