Young Australians risk skin cancer by not using sun protection

Forty years since the legendary Slip, Slop, Slap campaign, data shows many young Australians use no sun protection.

The sun-safe message is being forgotten or ignored by young people, sparking calls for a major new campaign to address the problem.

While they were covered from head to toe with rashies, hats and sunscreen as children, data shows one in five 18-24-year-olds now use no sun protection.

Cancer Council Australia CEO Tanya Buchanan said it had been 40 years since the legendary Slip, Slop, Slap campaign was launched and this research showed we needed something similar.

“We are concerned that among young Australians the message isn’t getting through,” she said.

“We know sun smart is strong in primary but not secondary schools.

“Young Australians are less likely to use sun protection, especially protective clothing and, among 18-24, one in five said they didn’t use any sun protection outdoors at all.

“We’d love to see a campaign promoting all five messages, slip, slop, slap, seek and slide – seek shade and slide on sunglasses – as skin cancer can happen anywhere, including eyes. It has been more than a decade without a national campaign.

“Two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the time they are 70.”

Alyssa Vlouhos and Alexandra Lonsdale always use sunscreen but many others do not. Picture: Tim Hunter

Australasian College of Dermatologists president Clare Tait said the age group 18-24 was not engaging in sun-safe behaviour.

“We know the biggest risk is sun exposure and ultraviolet radiation exposure,” she said. “Skin cancer is the commonest cancer in Australia but one of the most preventable cancers if we reduce the exposure.”

The data also shows one in 10 people aged 45-64 also do not use any sun protection outdoors.

Matt Kean was only 38 when he was diagnosed with melanoma.

The melanoma on Matt Kean’s leg was stage three cancer.

Matt Kean has red hair and freckles. Growing up in Tasmania, he was always sun safe but perhaps the sunscreen did not always go on his legs. In 2016, aged just 38, he found a spot that turned out to be stage three melanoma. Now in Albury, the father of two girls is at stage four but immunology has so far saved his life.

“They said at that point if the immunotherapy worked I should get between eight and 10 years, which wasn’t great to hear – but they also said seven years earlier I would have been planning a funeral,” he said.

He now presents sun safe education talks for year 9 students.

“I give them the whole box and dice ... if you don’t look after yourself, this can happen to you,” he said.

It has been 40 years since the legendary Slip, Slop, Slap campaign. Picture: Tim Hunter

Friends Alexandra Lonsdale, 14, and Alyssa Vlouhos 15, love the sun but they are still smart about it.

“I’m pretty pale, so I always protect my skin,” Alexandra said. Her mum Natalia Lonsdale has always rubbed the message in.

“I’ve always been careful with them, on occasion they have burned but they never do it again,” she said.

Got a news tip? Email [e-mail]