Slip Slop Slap - Australians aren't doing it often enough say experts

Sydney | 1 December 2008

For generations Australians have taken pride in bronzing themselves but the population of people suffering from sun-induced skin cancer is growing, prompting calls for a more targeted approach to prevention.
 
Australians? sun worship comes at a price. More than 1600 people lose their lives to skin cancer each year, a 33 percent increase on mortality rates a decade and a half ago. Put another way, more Australians are getting skin cancer than lung cancer. Alarmingly, there has been a 19 percent rise in melanoma cases in Victoria in one year alone from 2004 to 2005.
 
Despite a 30 year campaign encouraging Australians to ?Slip! Slop! Slap!?, the "bronzed Aussie" culture persists and Australia remains the skin cancer capital of the world. Fortunately, some habits are changing. People are wearing hats more often when out in the sun. Worksite hard hats often feature mandatory extended brims and neck visors. School playgrounds have shade sails overhead and children are not allowed in the playground without their hats.
 
Experts say the spike in skin cancer rates is partly due to greater awareness, better detection coupled with the maturing of melanomas in people who over exposed themselves to the sun before sun-smart campaigns began three decades ago.
 
The number of people who say they think having a tan is desirable is falling. Nevertheless, recent statistics have experts worried that Australians are still complacent about the risk of developing skin cancer. even though awareness and better detection have caused more people to see treatment producing the spike in reported cases.
 
Experts say skin cancer can lie dormant for two or three decades resulting in a lag in complaints that spikes years later, particularly in men over 60. A contributing factor is Australia?s proximity to the equator, coupled with frequently clear skies producing exposure to the highest ultraviolet radiation levels in the world.
 
For some people, according to experts, the skin cancer message is getting through but being ignored. As with cigarette smoking and excessive drinking, people understand that exposure to the sun without effective protection is bad for the skin but they will indulge in it despite the risk. A feeling of youthful immortality among young people exacerbates the problem. Doctors say young people are getting skin cancer not because of ignorance but simply because they are choosing not to do anything to protect themselves from the harmful effects of the sun.
 
Being Australian recommends that people of all ages take recommended steps to protect themselves from harmful effects of the sun. In fact, our sun screen offers ideal casual protection when experiencing life outdoors.
 
For more information about sun protection steps you can take, visit the Sun Smart website.