Page 3260 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 10 November 2021
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sunburnt shoulders. That was not a good example. It often happens at the very beginning of spring, when we are not really thinking about how hot that sun is, even though it is not actually that warm.
So this is a fantastic motion from Dr Paterson, with some really innovative thinking about how we can continue to reinforce messages to adults who act as role models in places where they are with children and young people. The maintenance of effort that we have seen over many decades has seen a shift in behaviour over time. That is really positive and it reinforces why having this kind of pervasive messaging in our community is so important.
Since 1996 the proportion of secondary students surveyed who reported that they like to get a suntan has significantly declined over time. For males, between 1996 and 2017 it decreased from 72 per cent to just over 50 per cent. For females, it has significantly reduced as well, from 82 per cent to 57 per cent. It is still probably a little higher than we would like to see.
Over the same period, the proportion of secondary students surveyed who reported ever having had severe sunburn that has blistered has significantly declined. When I think back to when we were at school, it might have been close to 100 per cent. It is good to see that for females the figure is 25 per cent—only slightly more likely than males, at 20.4 per cent—who report ever having had severe sunburn. But these numbers are still too high.
In 2017 the most common sun protection behaviours while outside for an hour or more between 11 am and 3 pm reported by secondary students surveyed were wearing SPF30 sunscreen, at 48.3 per cent; wearing a hat, at 43 per cent; and staying mainly in the shade, at 38 per cent. In 2017 almost 68 per cent of secondary students surveyed reported getting sunburnt at least once over the previous summer, with no significant difference between males and females. The proportion of students getting sunburnt at least once over the previous summer has decreased significantly over time, though. That is also good news, but, again, those numbers are too high and we can do more.
This trend shows that consistent messaging has worked over a number of years, from the incredibly successful Slip, Slop, Slap campaign that we all know so well—launched in 1981, which really makes me feel my age—through to the actions taken by the Cancer Council today.
Dr Paterson’s suggestion to continue keeping a focus on this through innovative public artwork approaches is another approach that will complement the work that is already underway to continue our progress in reducing the incidence of skin cancer and its impact on the community.
Dr Paterson’s motion calls for murals and the like in ACT playgrounds. She has suggested that cricket is an example of a sport where people spend a lot of time outside in the sun during summer. I look forward to working with my colleagues Minister Steel; Minister Berry as minister for sport and Minister Cheyne as the arts minister, and Dr Paterson herself, to think about how we can creatively respond to this motion and provide opportunities for local artists. I have seen many murals popping
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