City Councilor Matt O'Malley (West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain) says making sunscreen dispensers outdoors as ubiquitous as hand-sanitizer stations in city buildings would let residents and visitors enjoy this most walkable of cities with less fear of sun-caused skin cancer.
In a motion that goes before the council on Wednesday, O'Malley calls for a hearing to consider how to equip Boston parks with free sunscreen dispensers so that people can liberally coat themselves with the lotion.
O'Malley says he already has the backing of the Melanoma Research Foundation.
The council's meeting begins at noon in its fifth-floor chambers in City Hall.
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Comments
Enough is enough
By BabaBooey
Tue, 04/28/2015 - 2:03pm
This may be the last post I read here. You all realize you're arguing about sunscreen. SUNSCREEN! With the same fervor you use to debate the Olympics! I used to enjoy reading the discussion in the comments here, but you've all turned into the most negative NIMBYs who are completely devoid of nuanced or original thought. Universal Hub has become a cynical and depressing corner of Boston political discussion and completely boring and predictable. Every time any local politician (rep, councilor...) suggests something new you all attack with, "there are more important things to worry about," as if caring about multiple issues simultaneously is a bad thing. I'm worried about the people in Baltimore as well as the people in Nepal. How novel. I would actually be more upset if my representatives only focused on one thing at a time. We would never get anything done! This isn't only about this councilor, or even the city council at all. It's about you attacking an innocuous and potentially positive idea before it even sees the light of day. There is always a need for intelligent and searching discussion, but you've all become broken records of tired and stale arguments. It's a shame that real conversation is drowned out by your incessant whining. I don't know why this post finally pushed me over the edge. But, really, 90+ negative comments on f-ing sunscreen is a new low for Universal Hub.
I dunno
By Waquiot
Tue, 04/28/2015 - 2:39pm
Some of the comments are against the idea, but there is a decent argument about hand sanitizer, my 2 cents about Roslindale's Crimea tacked on to a discussion of O'Malley overall. All in all it is a classic UHub thread.
not quite getting all the hate here
By bibliotequetress
Tue, 04/28/2015 - 2:40pm
This is one of those small, cheap things that can be done to improve public health, like Purell dispensers-- which I wish we had in every T station, to be honest. Yes, they will probably run out often, but they're cheap and even when empty will remind people to put SPF on their kids, and to get into the habit.
http://www.pksafety.com/sun-x-sunscreen-dispenser-...
If we're serious about keeping medical costs at a minimum in the long run, this is exactly the sort of easy, effective, preventative action that can be taken. Again, like hand sanitizer and flu shots.
On a side note, given that O'Malley's sister recently died from cancer at age 40, he probably doesn't think of this as a meaningless gesture. And whatever criticism anyone has of the councilor, being an asshole is unnecessary.
not quite getting all the
By Scratchie
Tue, 04/28/2015 - 3:40pm
[img]http://www.quickmeme.com/img/c8/c8760bea8af06268db...
"It's about ethics in Boston political journalism"
By bibliotequetress
Tue, 04/28/2015 - 3:59pm
#HubberGate
Why not give this a try? As
By anon
Tue, 04/28/2015 - 4:19pm
Why not give this a try? As someone who grew up in New England, spending summers outside in the 1970's / 80's when getting a tan was considered healthy and a sunburn was no big deal, I am paying for it with trips to the dermatologist now. Thank goodnsess I ignored people teasing me for being pasty white and at least stayed away from tanning beds! A friend in her 30's who loved being tan in the summer and frequented tanning salons in the winter has already had suspicious moles removed that tested positive for cancer. When it happens to someone you know who is your age or younger, it's shocking. Please do put free sunblock in the parks -- what is the controversy? Sometimes you forget to bring sunblock with you or need to reapply it and you're outside longer than expected. What's wrong with parks offering sunblock at not cost to taxpayers?? If it doesn't work out, then the program will end. There is no harm in giving it a shot.
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