Summer is the best time of any teenager’s life, and luckily for the students of Alliance High School, summer is just around the corner. It’s almost time for lake days, suntans and good memories, but we all must make sure we are being safe this summer. Between sunburns, COVID-19 and stalkers, we teenagers have quite a few things to worry about. Thankfully, it’s easy to avoid these dangers with a few simple solutions.

There’s no question that COVID-19 made last summer a little different. With cases falling in our area, it’s easy to get excited about things going back to normal. But it’s important to remember that the pandemic still exists and is still a very real danger for many immunocompromised people. By taking a couple of preventative measures, our community can easily keep summer safe and fun.

Continuing to wear masks in public spaces is an obvious solution. COVID-19 is mainly spread through respiratory droplets which travel through the air when you cough, sneeze or even speak. Masks are worn over both the nose and mouth act as a barrier, preventing your respiratory droplets from reaching others. It’s easy and inexpensive to mask up at the grocery store, movie theater, gas station or bowling alley. Wearing a mask is a small price to pay to keep our town safe and keep our businesses open. 

Many people today are choosing to get vaccinated as well. According to the CDC, there are three different types of vaccines that are being widely distributed across the United States. Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen are all available in our location. These vaccines are free and can be distributed to people over the age of 16. Getting the COVID vaccine is just another way to help end this pandemic and have a safer summer. 

Another annoying thing that comes along every summer is sunburns. Sunburns are caused by UV rays from the sun; these rays of radiation cause an inflammatory reaction on unprotected skin. An increased amount of sun can cause pain, inflammation, peeling of the skin and sometimes down the road even skin cancer. 

It is important to protect yourself from the sun. Though the sun brings hot days and warm nights, it is not very forgiving. Sunscreen is a way to protect your skin from the sun. According to colorscience.com, “Chemical sunscreens contain organic compounds that catalyze a chemical reaction when exposed to the sun; this reaction transforms UV rays into heat, which is then released from the skin.” Sunscreen is to be put in a light layer on all the areas of skin that will be exposed to the sun, and then reapplied every couple of hours. 

Unfortunately, everybody forgets their sunscreen at least once every summer and ends up with a nasty sunburn. Thankfully there are a lot of at-home remedies that can help a sunburn. Aloe vera and coconut oil applied to the sunburn can help reduce redness and swelling, as well as relieve pain. 

Along with mother nature’s difficulties, there are also other things to be careful of. Everyone has heard the phrase, “Don’t talk to strangers.” This mainly applies to young children who are susceptible to being snatched, but teenagers and adults are also encouraged to be careful around people they don’t know, and sometimes people they do. This summer, if you are uncomfortable with anything, the best solution is to remove yourself from the situation. Of course, anyone can make new friends this summer at the lake or at the baseball fields, but the best way to make new friends is to do it safely in an environment where everyone is comfortable. 

So yes, this summer make new friends and have fun, but also stay safe. Do this by trusting what you learned as a child, but also trusting your instincts. Remember that COVID-19 is still very real and anyone who is not vaccinated can catch it and possibly be harmed by it. Stay safe by social distancing, wearing masks or getting vaccinated. Go out and have fun in the great outdoors, but don’t forget to wear sunscreen!