Tropical vacations and long beach days may seem like obvious settings for unprotected sun exposure, but in New Hampshire, the risk can build at camps, playgrounds, and parks. The state’s rate of melanoma cases is estimated to be roughly 22% higher than the national average, greater than that of states like Florida, Hawaii, and California, according to the NIH.

To help address this risk, AmeriHealth Caritas New Hampshire (ACNH) is making sunscreen available at no cost to the public through a collaboration with IMPACT Melanoma, a national nonprofit focused on skin cancer prevention and early detection.

“Access matters when it comes to prevention,” said Rob Slattery, Market President, AmeriHealth Caritas New Hampshire. “We have placed sunscreen in community settings to support consistent use, especially for kids spending time outdoors.”

The effort aims to make sun protection easier to find during peak outdoor hours. ACNH has funded and placed branded sunscreen dispensers at six locations across New Hampshire:

• Manchester Parks and Recreation’s “Fun in the Sun” program at Livingston Park and Piscataquog River Park
• Granite State YMCA sites in Londonderry and Hooksett
• Milton Town Beach
• The Boys & Girls Club of Suncook

In addition to the placing the dispensers, ACNH is distributing educational materials, including resources on melanoma awareness, and identifying suspicious moles, and outreaching directly to people of color, who are often diagnosed with skin cancer at later stages. The initiative is also making sun-protective items available, such as SPF swim shirts for infants, to reinforce safe sun practices.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States but is highly preventable. Simple sun-safety steps include:

• Use consistent sun protection with SPF 30 or higher
• Reapply every two hours
• Seek shade during peak sun hours
• Wear protective clothing and sunglasses

Through its Practice Safe Skin program, IMPACT Melanoma has helped bring more than 11,000 sunscreen dispensers to public spaces nationwide.

The organization is the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to reducing melanoma incidence and saving lives through education, prevention programs, and community partnerships.