Free Sunscreen Coming To 70 North Shore Locations This Summer

SALEM, MA — Free sunscreen is coming to 70 outdoor locations across the North Shore this summer as part of a partnership between Impact Melanoma and eight area cities and town.

Parks, playgrounds, beaches and outdoor work sites in Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Lynn, Nahant, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott will receive the dispensers as part of a two-year North Shore Practice Safe Skin Collaboration funded through a state Public Health Excellence grant.

Salem Health Agent David Greenbaun said he knows the dangers of sun exposure through his own recent skin cancer scare.

"This is definitely more proactive," he said. "Now we're offering free sunscreen dispensers and placing them in specific locations not just for residents and beachgoers, but also for people who work out in the sun all day long."

The North Shore initiative is aimed specifically to provide free sun protection to residents who are associated with populations with decreased access to dermatology care and patients who have more advanced skin cancers at diagnosis.

These include areas with a high Social Vulnerability Index, which are considered areas with high population density, few trees and less access to shade — known as "heat islands."

"As we navigate increasing temperatures due to climate change, we want to make outdoor activity safer and more comfortable for everyone," IMPACT Melanoma Executive Director Deb Girard said.

The program begins in Salem and surrounding communities on July 21.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at [email protected]. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)