Approximately 150 cafés and restaurants in the Netherlands have recently added an unconventional item to their menus: sunscreen. This innovative approach, featuring "shots" of sunscreen, is an initiative by health insurer Zilveren Kruis to encourage people to protect their skin while enjoying the outdoors.
Peter Forger, a café owner in the heart of Den Bosch, has included SPF 30 sunscreen on his menu. Forger noticed that many patrons often forget to bring or apply sunscreen. "We see that a lot of people either don't use sunscreen at all or apply it very minimally, and that's concerning," he told Omroep Brabant.
Dermatologist Mitra Tebbe-Gholami highlights the critical importance of sunscreen use. "The more frequently someone gets sunburned, the higher their risk of developing skin cancer," she explains. Research indicates that 28 percent of sunburns occur while people are relaxing on terraces or in their gardens.
Forger observes that the sunscreen bottles are already being used frequently. "We notice the tubes are running out, which is a good sign," he says.
By incorporating sunscreen into their offerings, these cafés and restaurants aim to make sun protection a regular part of outdoor leisure activities, ultimately promoting better skin health among their patrons.
Source: NOS, Omroep Brabant