THE SENATE                           S.R. NO.              20
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                    SENATE  RESOLUTION
REQUESTING ESTABLISHMENT OF A SUN PROTECTION POLICY FOR
   ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN AND A FEASIBILITY STUDY ON
   REQUIRING SCHOOL CHILDREN TO WEAR PROTECTIVE SUN SCREEN
   HEADGEAR.


 1        WHEREAS, Hawaii's tropical climate, beautiful beaches, and
 2   numerous outdoor activities often result in both residents and
 3   visitors alike suffering from prolonged exposure to sunlight;
 4   and
 5   
 6        WHEREAS, many people who are overexposed to sunlight are
 7   at higher risk of malignant melanoma and other forms of skin
 8   cancer; and
 9   
10        WHEREAS, skin cancer represents the most common of all
11   cancers in the United States, accounting for thirty to forty
12   per cent of all malignancies reported; and
13   
14        WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
15   reported that for the period from 1973 through 1991, the
16   incidence of melanoma, a more serious form of skin cancer,
17   increased faster than any other form of cancer in the United
18   States; and
19   
20        WHEREAS, while melanoma may be lethal if not properly
21   treated at an early stage, melanoma and other forms of skin
22   cancer are easily prevented by reducing exposure to sunlight;
23   and
24   
25        WHEREAS, in addition to those who are at high risk for
26   genetic or biological reasons and who pursue high risk
27   activities that are likely to lead to overexposure, it has been
28   found that childhood exposure may increase a person's risk of
29   skin cancer; and
30   
31        WHEREAS, Australia, among other countries, has developed
32   an innovative nationwide campaign, called "SunSmart", to reduce
33   the incidence of skin cancer in its population, at least eighty
34   per cent of whom have skin that is susceptible to skin cancer;
35   and
36   
37        WHEREAS, an integral part of the SunSmart campaign is the
38   schools program, which was designed to ensure that all students
39   in school, from pre-school to college, are protected from skin
40   damage caused by harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun;

 
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 1   and
 2   
 3        WHEREAS, since childhood exposure is closely related to
 4   the developments of melanoma later in life, the schools program
 5   is designed to have long-lasting benefits and produces
 6   innovative resources that have an integrated curriculum
 7   approach; and
 8   
 9        WHEREAS, for example, the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria,
10   Australia, provides resources that enable teachers to implement
11   SunSmart programs, and provides inservice training and support
12   to educators and parents in school communities on all issues
13   relating to skin cancer prevention; and
14   
15        WHEREAS, the SunSmart policy requires school children to
16   wear a hat during outdoor activities not only during the
17   academic year, but throughout the entire calendar year; and
18   
19        WHEREAS, many primary schools in Australia also feature a
20   "no hat, play in the shade" policy, in which students eat lunch
21   inside or in the shade, line up in the shade, attend assemblies
22   held inside, and have access to seats in the shade.  This
23   policy also encourages children to wear a hat when outdoors and
24   also encourages schools to develop shade areas; and
25   
26        WHEREAS, Australia's SunSmart policy also encourages
27   students and staff to wear hats that shade the face, neck, and
28   ears; wear shirts with collars and sleeves that are made from a
29   closely woven fiber; and apply SPF15+, broad spectrum, water
30   resistant sunscreen before all outdoor activities and reapply
31   every two hours; and
32   
33        WHEREAS, while the Hawaii Department of Health has adopted
34   a Sun Protection Program to provide information and other
35   public services to help prevent skin cancer and other related
36   skin problems from overexposure to the sun, the State's
37   Department of Education apparently has not adopted a similar
38   program for school children; and
39   
40        WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that the health and welfare
41   of Hawaii's school children would be greatly enhanced if
42   preventive measures are taken now, similar to Australia's
43   SunSmart program, to protect them from the hazards of exposure
44   to the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun; now, therefore,
45   
46        BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twentieth Legislature

 
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 1   of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 1999, that the
 2   Department of Education, in cooperation with the Department of
 3   Health, is requested to establish a sun protection policy for
 4   elementary school children and to study the feasibility and
 5   cost of requiring school children to wear protective sun screen
 6   headgear; and
 7   
 8        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is
 9   requested to review the SunSmart program in Australia, as well
10   as comparable innovative programs in other countries and other
11   states on the United States mainland, in establishing a sun
12   protection policy for school children; and
13   
14        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education,
15   to the extent feasible, is requested to cooperate and
16   coordinate its efforts with the Hawaii Skin Cancer Coalition,
17   the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, the Departments of Parks
18   Recreation of the respective counties, and all other public and
19   private agencies or organizations as may be appropriate, in
20   developing a sun protection program for school children, and
21   that all state and county agencies are requested to cooperate
22   with and provide assistance to the department with respect to
23   its study as may be necessary; and
24   
25        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is
26   requested to report its findings and recommendations, including
27   any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than
28   twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of
29   2000; and
30   
31        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
32   Resolution be transmitted to the Superintendent of Education,
33   the Chairperson of the Board of Education, the Director of
34   Health, the Mayors of the Counties of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, and
35   the City and County of Honolulu, the President of the Hawaii
36   Skin Cancer Coalition, and the President of the Cancer Research
37   Center of Hawaii.
38   
39 
40                         OFFERED BY:  ____________________________
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