Kerry Petulla, from the charity, spoke out after it emerged that people were using sunblock or plasters to create designs on their skin and then leaving the areas surrounding them unprotected from the sun’s rays. Images of people copying the trend have been posted on the social media site Instagram.
Mrs Petulla said: ‘Naturally, from the charity’s perspective, we like to advocate that people should not burn in the sun. We think the craze is nuts. The whole concept is to burn yourself. It’s highly dangerous.
‘This is more of a craze among teenagers and we would urge parents to inform their children of the dangers of doing this and the long-term effects it could cause, which are not just skin ageing, but also skin cancer and the most aggressive form, malignant melanoma.’
Mrs Petulla added: ‘We say people should use sunscreen, cover up and not burn.’
WRISTBANDS that turn purple in the sun were handed out during the NatWest Island Games by a charity which is trying to reduce Jersey’s high skin cancer rates.
UV wristbands – which are white when worn indoors but turn a purple colour depending on the UV level – as well as sun cream are being given out by volunteers from the Donna Annand Melanoma Charity to spectators during the week-long event.
The charity, which was set up in memory of Islander Donna Annand, gave 450 bands to Games Makers and another 4,000 to spectators. With temperatures soaring to more than 30°C this week and the UV index hitting eight – the highest it can reach in Jersey – the charity attended as many sporting events as possible with their mascot Alan the Mole.
Kerry Petulla from the charity said that the Games was the first major event that they had attended, but that they hoped to help out at more in the future. She added: ‘We’re really pleased with how everything went.
‘We wanted to do what we could to support the Games and give something back to Jersey, as people have been so supportive of the charity. The bands are really good at reminding people to put on sun cream. The UV activates a pigment in the band and turns it purple. The darker the purple, the higher the UV.’
