Maria Sharapova Reimagines Sun Safety in Schools with SUPERGOOP!

As a parent, do you see changes in the way kids today take more precaution in the sun? Is the level of understanding shifting?
Yes. When I was a child, my own parents did not realize the long-term effects of sunburn, and they really didn’t consider incidental daily sun damage to be harmful. Today, parents are much [savvier] in understanding how important it is to protect their children from sunburns, but unfortunately, few understand [the damage of daily incidentals.

We’re working hard to get parents to sign permission slips for their children. Can you share the next steps in our journey?
Yes, our goal is to give the right to sun safety to every child in America. To date, there are only three states in the U.S. (California, Oregon and Texas) that openly allow sunscreen at school without a permission slip. All too often, we hear stories in the news of children coming home from school with blistering sunburns. Why should something that is a proven tool for skin cancer prevention be restricted? By encouraging every parent to sign a permission slip for his or her child, our hope is that we raise awareness of this antiquated regulation, and build a groundswell of vocal parents that champion change in their local school districts and state legislatures.

What evidence is there to support that the changing of this legislation will create healthier adults with less chance of skin cancer?
Australia is an amazing model and [a] proof point for change. In 1988, [there was a] countrywide, multi-component intervention called SunSmart, which was designed to raise awareness of the need for sun protection, [encourage a] change in personal behavior and to influence institutional policy and practices. Much like the U.S., Australia’s rates of skin cancer at the time were seriously escalating. Through campaigns like “slip, slop, slap” which taught children that they must slip on a long-sleeved shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat before they could play outside, Australia is now seeing rates of basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma taper off in people younger than 45 years old, and what were once increasing rates of melanoma have now stabilized.