by Elisa Scarton, VicHealth Youth Reporter 2011
Decades ago, you couldn't have imagined a more wholesome image than young boys and girls frolicking in the summer sun.
In those days, sunscreen was considered optional and tans were the height of good health. But science soon proved those young people were inadvertently damaging their cells and increasing their risk of skin cancer.
The first SunSmart Slip, Slop, Slap! campaign hit Australian television screens in 1981. On its 30th anniversary last year, Cancer Council Victoria surveyed 13 to 17 year olds about their sun behaviour, to find out whether the message has been getting through.
They found that more than half the young people surveyed still expressed a desire for a tan despite the dangers.
Risk takers
Despite good public awareness and sun safety behaviour in the general Australian public, young people continue to ignore the warnings.
SunSmart manager Sue Heward says that’s why adolescents and young adults are their main focus when it comes to promoting sun safety.
“Young Australians have the highest incidence of malignant melanoma in the world compared with adolescents in other countries,” she said.
“In young people aged 12-24 years, melanoma is the most common cancer, with more than double the number of cases of any other kind of cancer.
“It is critical to get the message across to people, especially young people and adolescents, that tanning is not a sign of good health - it is a sign of your skin cells in trauma.”
Anita Norton, 20, admits she is aware of the SunSmart message but that she tans regardless.
“Of course I know what I should be doing when I go in the sun. Putting on sunscreen isn't that hard and sometimes my friends and I might rub a bit on, but most of the time we go without,” she says.
“The reason's simple enough – we want to get a tan. Being white isn't attractive or particularly appealing. I feel better when I have a nice tan, and besides, hats don't suit me.”
The cost of a tan
Anita isn't alone in thinking a tan makes her more attractive. Ms Heward says girls are more likely to deliberately tan compared to boys.
But, as the head of cell biology at RMIT University associate professor Terrance Piva points out, there is nothing beautiful about the effects of tanning.
“Each time your skin is exposed to UV rays, you're mutating your skin cells. The colour you see is your skin trying to protect itself. It's producing more melanin – the body's natural sunscreen – in an attempt to fend off those rays,” he says.
“The more unprotected exposure you receive, whether at the beach, in a solarium or just via day-to-day activities, the more you damage your skin and increase your risk of cancer.”
In Victoria nearly 20 per cent of all skin cancers occur in 15 to 24 year olds, but Cancer Council research shows only one in five think they'll get melanoma or other skin cancers.
Elio Bartolotti, 24, says he never gave skin cancer a second thought during his teenage years.
“I'm not exactly fair, but I had friends who burn so easily, while I'd just get a great tan. I thought it was fantastic and I'd deliberately go out without a shirt or sunscreen in summer,” he says.
“But after my dad got a skin cancer removed, I started being more careful. The scar of dad's is a constant reminder and I remember how worried we all were when we found out he had cancer. I don't want to put my family through that so I take sun safety seriously now.”
Keeping safe
Protecting yourself from UV rays isn't difficult, but you need to be aware that you don't have to burn to be at risk of skin cancer and everyone's skin is different.
“Treat your skin like you would treat your diet,” says Professor Piva.
“Everyone's different and everyone needs sunscreen, but fair-skinned people need to apply it more often and more liberally and remember that sunscreen is only the beginning. You need to wear a hat and protect your eyes too.”
SunSmart recently released a free iPhone application that alerts people to when and how to protect themselves from the sun. Get the app and more info on skin cancer at www.sunsmart.com.au
Send your feedback/comments on this article to Elisa
This article also appears on youthcentral, the Victorian Government's website for young people. www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au