More New Brunswick communities are joining a national pilot project to make sunscreen more accessible to the community.

Grand Bay-Westfield recently announced that it would take part in the project by Save Your Skin Foundation and medical student siblings Samuel and Karen Farag.

A free public sunscreen dispenser has been installed at the gazebo near the town’s splash pad.

Town officials said a second dispenser will also be available at the Brundage Point River Centre in the coming weeks.

“Sun-induced skin disorders can be devastating for those affected and their loved ones,” Samuel Farag, a third-year medical student at Sherbrooke University, said in a news release.

“It is a very prominent issue here in Atlantic Canada. However, the good news is that we are not powerless.”

The pilot project first launched in 2022 with 10 dispensers being installed in four communities, including Riverview.

For 2023, an additional 32 dispensers are being launched, including the two in Grand Bay-Westfield. The NB Fairs & Exhibition Association will also use four dispensers in 13 fairs across New Brunswick.

Riverview will have four dispensers this year: two at the Lion’s Community Park, and two that will be used at various special events.

The dispensers are automatic and touchless and provide free, Health Canada-approved SPF 30 sunscreen for anyone who needs

Save Your Skin Foundation founder Kathy Bernard said studies show young people still are not taking sun safety seriously, despite incidence rates rising every year.

“Skin cancer can be deadly, but it is also highly preventable,” said Bernard, who is a stage 4 melanoma survivor.

Sunscreen should be applied 20 minutes before sun exposure and reapplied every two hours or after swimming.

Other ways to stay sun-safe include limiting your time in direct sunlight, especially between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., seeking shade, and covering up by wearing long sleeves and pants and a wide-brimmed hat.