Page 4503 - Week 15 - Thursday, 22 November 1990
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and adolescence. The number of skin cancers amongst Canberrans is not accurately known, but we can expect an increasing incidence as people are tending now to spend longer periods of their lives in the ACT. Canberrans are exposed to longer periods of sunlight than people living in most other Australian cities. Only Perth and Adelaide exceed Canberra's mean daily hours of sunshine in the summer months. In winter, only Darwin, Brisbane and Sydney exceed Canberra's mean daily hours of sunlight. It is a mistake to believe that protection is not needed in the winter, especially with our clear air and high altitude.
While these facts do present a very gloomy picture, they are only a part of the story. Over 99 per cent of skin cancers can be cured if detected at an early stage. In 85 per cent of cases, people who have been treated will survive for more than five years. We also know which people are most at risk of developing skin cancer. They are fair-skinned people, people who do not protect themselves when in the sun and people whose jobs and recreational activities take them into the sun for extended periods of time. Obviously, MLAs are not included in that latter category.
Sunlight is the predominant known cause of skin cancer, and the sun's rays are most harmful between 11 am and 3 pm, eastern summertime. Logically, reduction of exposure to sunlight is the preferable preventative strategy. There are three approaches to the primary prevention of skin cancer: promotion of natural shade, the use of protective clothing and the use of sunscreens. The community also needs to be educated about secondary prevention activities, such as regular checking of the skin for changes in skin spots, freckles and moles, and the early treatment of diagnosed skin cancers.
The Alliance Government is well aware of the need for initiatives on a range of fronts to combat this problem. I am very pleased to announce that the health promotion fund to date has provided sponsorship to three sporting and recreation groups which will be conducting SunSmart campaigns this summer. The groups are: the ACT Volley Ball Association for $18,559; the ACT yachting team for $10,000; and the Walking for Pleasure group for $23,448. These groups will use material such as facts sheets, posters and television advertising to promote the SunSmart message. The ACT Cancer Society has also been provided with some moneys to support these organisations and to promote the sponsorships. It is expected that other sporting and recreational groups will use the SunSmart message to infer the sponsorship.
The ACT Board of Health is currently conducting a campaign to encourage all health workers to wear a hat whenever they need to go outdoors for work and for breaks. As part of Skin Cancer Awareness Week, staff of the ACT Board of Health will run Aussie Hat Day in their workplace. That is tomorrow, Mr Speaker. This will draw attention to this
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