According to the NSW Cancer Council’s latest research people in Young are still forgetting to slip, slop, slap to protect themselves from the sun.
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New research released on Monday showed that residents are forgetting to slip on a shirt to protect themselves from the sun and an alarming number of adults are getting sunburnt during the summer over weekends.
The latest Cancer Council National Sun Protection Survey showed that overall the proportion of adults slipping on clothing to protect themselves from the sun has decreased from 19 percent to 17 percent in the last three years. According to the data the proportion of NSW adults who get sunburnt on summer weekends hasn’t improved and now sits at 17 percent, equivalent to more than 881,000 adults.
In light of the findings Cancer Council Australia and the Australasian College of Dermatologists are joining together for National Skin Cancer Action Week from November 19-25 to remind Australians how to best protect their skin.
Cancer Council NSW Western Region’s Brianna Carracher expressed concern that sun protection behaviours among adults in the region had deteriorated, and that it reinforced the need for continued campaigns to ensure adults remain vigilant about reducing their UV exposure.
Ms Carracher also welcomed some of the positive news in the research, most notably the increased use of sunscreen among adults.
“Whilst this is wonderful news, there is still a lot of work to do in terms of educating our local community on the importance of adopting a combination of sun protection measures.
“We suspect Aussies are slopping on sunscreen while at the same time reducing their use of covering clothing and expecting to be protected all day long,” she said.
According to Ms Carracher sunscreen is a great tool to help protect skin but it is not a suit of armour.
“The motto remains the same - slip, slop, slap, seek shade and slide on sunglasses. Wearing covering clothing is one of the simplest and effective ways to protect your skin.”
The motto remains the same - slip, slop, slap, seek shade and slide on sunglasses.
- Brianna Carracher