General News
1 December, 2024
Don't become a victim of the sun's harmful rays
Sure, it was pretty wet and soggy over the weekend; however, with summer just around the corner and hot days inevitably upon us, I thought this message from a colleague, Jackie Meyers, was one to be shared as an important reminder to all.
Sure, it was pretty wet and soggy over the weekend; however, with summer just around the corner and hot days inevitably upon us, I thought this message from a colleague, Jackie Meyers, was one to be shared as an important reminder to all.
Having lost loved ones to melanoma I have become extremely cautious about sun exposure.
Such caution is further boosted by the shocking Cancer Council Australia statistic that notes the number of new cases of melanoma diagnosis in Australia increased from 3538 (1736 males and 1802 females) in 1982 to a total 15,628 cases in 2019.
According to the Cancer Council Australia has the world's highest skin cancer rates. I am doing all I can to make sure I don't add to that statistic.
But I didn't always follow a sun-safe approach. My fear, and no doubt many of my generation, is the damage may have already been done.
Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, I was part of the beach-loving crowd, convinced a bronzed Aussie appearance was the 'healthy look'. So, I used coconut oil instead of sunblock and spent hours soaking up the sun's harmful rays every chance I got.
It took a few years before I began to respect and follow the Cancer Council's Slip, Slop, Slap campaign launched in 1981. The messaging is still as important as ever - slip on sun-protective clothing, slop on sunscreen with a rating of SPF50 or 50+ and slap on a hat. And don't forget the later additions - seek shade, and slide on sunglasses.
I started to pay attention to the messaging about staying out of the sun during the hottest part of the day, when the sun's UV Rays are most harmful, during the early 90s. I am now well aware nearly half of UV radiation is received between 10am and 4pm and I aim to stay out of the sun during this time or at the very least I Slip, Slop, Slap,Seek and Slide.
Don't get me wrong, I love swimming and walking along the beach whenever I can but I prefer to do this in the morning or later in the day.
With the hot months upon us, and the great outdoors beckoning, there seems no better time than right now to remind everyone a sun-safe approach could be lifesaving.
Ben Fraser, editor