When you live in Australia, as we did just recently, you very quickly realize how seriously they take their sun protection. The combination of a light-skinned population with prolonged sun exposure leaves Australians at real risk.
The risk is so high, in fact, that according to its Cancer Council two in every three Australians will develop skin cancer before the age of 70. More than 440,000 Australians are diagnosed with skin cancer every year – 374,000 with non-melanoma skin cancer and 10,600 with melanoma. In total, more than 1,600 Australians die from skin cancer each year.
Not surprisingly then, the government of Australia has embarked on a social awareness campaign about the dangers of sun exposure and how to prevent skin cancer. But I think many Canadians would find the actual campaigns surprisingly graphic. I know that we sure did at least.
Here is a sample television ad. (Warning: Not appropriate for children. Graphic scenes.)
That particular ad is from the real life of a 22-year-old Australian, while this one is of a 26-year-old.
If you knew a young person dying from skin cancer, it would be hard not to take sun protection seriously. And, sadly, we do. We have a family friend in Australia who has been given a terminal diagnosis from skin cancer. So, yes, we were deadly serious about sun exposure while in the land down under.
But now that we’re back in Canada, do we really need to worry about skin cancer? Compared to Australia, we hardly have a summer season at all!
Well, I checked the stats.
And apparently, skin cancer is alive and well in Canada. Believe it or not, skin cancer is actually is the most common cancer in Canada! I noted earlier that more than 1,600 Australians die annually from skin cancer. In Canada, this number is more than 900. Even in Ontario, where we live and which has a long winter season, melanoma is the second most common cancer in young adults (ages 15 to 34).
Now that I know these stats, I am not about to hide under a rock and live in fear. And our family will certainly be taking in as much of the summer that dear Ontario will grant us, that is for sure!
But we will continue to follow the prevention guidelines that were a part of our daily life in Australia:
- Slip on clothing
- Slop on some sunscreen
- Slap on a hat
- Seek out some shade
- Slide on some sunglasses
Is this a topic of interest to you? If yes, here are some more sources of information:
- What about Vitamin D? Here is information on ensuring you’re getting enough of this important vitamin.
- What about the safety of sunscreens? Here is an summary of what the Environmental Working Group considers to be the best and safest sunscreens.
- Looking for a local supplier of sun protection products? Ottawa’s Lilou Organics and Nayla Natural Care both carry sunscreen brands noted in the EWG list. And Moutain Equipment Co-op sells No-Zone swimwear in children and infant sizes.
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month – pass it on!
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