Experts are warning Canadians not to heed misinformation spread online that sunscreen can cause cancer, stressing that proper use of the right lotions or sprays is, in fact, one of the best ways to prevent potentially deadly ailments like melanoma.
Quebec’s Order of Chemists warned last week against what it called a worrying trend circulating on social networks where some influencers spread false and misleading information about sunscreen, claiming that its ingredients are harmful to the skin and can cause cancer. The group said the assertions, devoid of scientific basis, can endanger public health.
One such influencer on TikTok recently warned their 570,000 followers to not use any sunscreen whose ingredients have “any funny words other than zinc.”
Julia Carroll, a dermatologist in Toronto, says much of the misinformation fails to look at the medical literature as a whole on sunscreen ingredients, which points to their safety.
“I’m a board-certified dermatologist,” Carroll said. “I have 20 plus years of training and education and we dedicate ourselves to looking after the health of our patients’ skin. And one person on TikTok that just happens to have a lot of followers can sway someone’s opinion. It’s really frustrating for all of us.”
She says some influencers overlook how it’s the dose that makes the poison. Too much of almost any substance can kill you while, in small amounts, even toxic substances like botulinum toxin can be safe.
Some influencers claim certain sunscreen ingredients cause cancer or other ailments. Others say sunshine is the best way to get vitamin D.
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, about 65 per cent of melanoma cases are due to ultra-violet (UV) radiation, the main source of which is the sun. Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that starts in the skin’s pigment-producing cells or melanocytes.
Skin cancer survivor stresses importance of checking moles frequently
Maureen Meehan, a London, Ont., resident who was diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma in 2017 and had successful surgery, shares how to check moles in areas you can’t reach and why you shouldn’t take the threat of skin cancer lightly.
The authors of a report on projected estimates of cancer in Canada for 2024 noted the incidence of melanoma continues to increase for both males and females, although mortality has remained largely stable.
Cheryl Peters, a senior scientist at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control and B.C. Cancer, attributed the rise in melanoma to a combination of factors. People may expose more skin to stay cool during hotter summers with climate change, she said. Canada’s aging population also matters since the risk of most cancers increases the older you get.
Check UV index
In Canada, weather forecasts and apps include information on the UV index.
“Once you start to hit that UV index of 3, you really want to be wearing your sunscreen and reapplying it regularly,” Peters said on CBC Radio’s Just Asking.
The first layer of defence is to reduce time in the sun during its peak rays of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., by seeking shade and covering up as much of your skin as you can with clothing that is made from tightly woven fabric or clothes labelled with a UPF (UV protection factor), a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.
LISTEN | Myths on the rise:
25:59Dispelling dangerous myths about sunscreen
It’s true that a bit of sun exposure does help the body produce vitamin D, which is important for our bones and other health aspects.
But Carroll says people shouldn’t rely on it to get their vitamin D. “If vitamin D is really important to you, the easiest way and most consistent way to get it is through a supplement,” she said.
Sunscreen explained
Sunscreen comes in two major types, mineral and chemical.
Mineral sunscreens contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. The mineral flecks create a barrier reflecting UV light before it penetrates the skin. Because mineral sunscreens create a physical block and aren’t absorbed, the formulations can have a white appearance.
Chemical sunscreens come as creams or sprays. The ingredients form a thin protective film that absorbs UV rays and converts them into heat before they penetrate the skin.
Dermatologist Dr. Monica Li discusses the meaning of SPF and the differences between chemical and mineral sunscreens.
Canadian guidelines recommend making applying sunscreen part of your morning routine and putting on a “generous amount” — one to two teaspoons for the head and neck, and two to three tablespoons for the body of an average-sized adult.
Guidelines laid down by the Canadian Dermatology Association require an SPF rating of at least 30.
Experts also recommend broad-spectrum sunscreens that protect against both UVA rays, which lead to signs of aging like wrinkles, and UVB rays, which lead to sunburn.
Chemical sunscreens can lose their efficacy when exposed to extreme heat according to a 2012 study in the journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. You can tell if sunscreen may have been exposed to extreme heat if its components have started to separate.
So during extreme heat, when temperatures reach 32 C or above, with high humidity, for at least a few days, mineral sunscreens are preferable, says Jacqueline Watchmaker, a dermatologist in Scottsdale, Ariz., and a spokesperson for the academy.
Otherwise, there isn’t a health-based reason to choose one type of sunscreen over another, says Peters, who researches the prevention of occupational and environmental chronic diseases like cancer.
Chemical sunscreens can cause a skin reaction like a rash in a small number of people, she says. In those cases, shift to a mineral-based product.
Also, chemical sunscreens are suspected of causing harm to some coral reefs so if you’re vacationing in areas with reefs, that’s another time to consider using a mineral-based option, Peters says.
Lip balms that have a SPF rating are also an important form of protection that a lot of people miss, Peters said.
A woman covers herself with an umbrella during the heat wave in Mexico City in March. Clothing and a wide-brimmed hat can help protect skin from the sun’s damaging UV rays. (Quetzalli Nicte-Ha/Reuters)
VANCOUVER – Mayors and other leaders from several British Columbia communities say the provincial and federal governments need to take “immediate action” to tackle mental health and public safety issues that have reached crisis levels.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim says it’s become “abundantly clear” that mental health and addiction issues and public safety have caused crises that are “gripping” Vancouver, and he and other politicians, First Nations leaders and law enforcement officials are pleading for federal and provincial help.
In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier David Eby, mayors say there are “three critical fronts” that require action including “mandatory care” for people with severe mental health and addiction issues.
The letter says senior governments also need to bring in “meaningful bail reform” for repeat offenders, and the federal government must improve policing at Metro Vancouver ports to stop illicit drugs from coming in and stolen vehicles from being exported.
Sim says the “current system” has failed British Columbians, and the number of people dealing with severe mental health and addiction issues due to lack of proper care has “reached a critical point.”
Vancouver Police Chief Adam Palmer says repeat violent offenders are too often released on bail due to a “revolving door of justice,” and a new approach is needed to deal with mentally ill people who “pose a serious and immediate danger to themselves and others.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024
The Canadian government says it will donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to fight the mpox outbreak in Congo and other African countries.
It says the donated doses of Imvamune will come from Canada’s existing supply and will not affect the country’s preparedness for mpox cases in this country.
Minister of Health Mark Holland says the donation “will help to protect those in the most affected regions of Africa and will help prevent further spread of the virus.”
Dr. Madhukar Pai, Canada research chair in epidemiology and global health, says although the donation is welcome, it is a very small portion of the estimated 10 million vaccine doses needed to control the outbreak.
Vaccine donations from wealthier countries have only recently started arriving in Africa, almost a month after the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
A few days after the declaration in August, Global Affairs Canada announced a contribution of $1 million for mpox surveillance, diagnostic tools, research and community awareness in Africa.
On Thursday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said mpox is still on the rise and that testing rates are “insufficient” across the continent.
Jason Kindrachuk, Canada research chair in emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, said donating vaccines, in addition to supporting surveillance and diagnostic tests, is “massively important.”
But Kindrachuk, who has worked on the ground in Congo during the epidemic, also said that the international response to the mpox outbreak is “better late than never (but) better never late.”
“It would have been fantastic for us globally to not be in this position by having provided doses a much, much longer time prior than when we are,” he said, noting that the outbreak of clade I mpox in Congo started in early 2023.
Clade II mpox, endemic in regions of West Africa, came to the world’s attention even earlier — in 2022 — as that strain of virus spread to other countries, including Canada.
Two doses are recommended for mpox vaccination, so the donation may only benefit 100,000 people, Pai said.
Pai questioned whether Canada is contributing enough, as the federal government hasn’t said what percentage of its mpox vaccine stockpile it is donating.
“Small donations are simply not going to help end this crisis. We need to show greater solidarity and support,” he said in an email.
“That is the biggest lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic — our collective safety is tied with that of other nations.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.
The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.
Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.
“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”
The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.
A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.
Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.
“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.
Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.
The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.
“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
