For those of you who have never been to a beautiful Aussie beach, you might assume it is always hot and sunny here. I did, before I emigrated.
At home, in the UK, everything associated with Australia, in the media, is enhanced by tanned, beautiful bodies, and lit by the hot and powerful Sun.
Home & Away and Neighbours have a lot to answer for!
The winter in Adelaide can be harsh. However, the winter is gradually coming to an end (it is supposed to be spring at the moment), even if the cold days seem to be lingering on. Very soon everyone will be spending more time at their local beach, playing more sport, having picnics. It’s a great time to be in Oz.
A lot will be wearing shorts or speedos, and not much else. But here in Australia health promotion is high on the agenda and most folks are pretty well educated about avoiding being burnt and reducing their risk of skin cancer.
The Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide campaign has done wonders in Australia! (Click the link to see how badly I got burned last year.) However, many people are still developing skin cancer. In 2007 almost 2000 people died from skin cancer, and in a country of less than 22 million people, that is a shocking number. It is believed that 2 out of 3 people in Australia will develop a form of skin cancer. Scary figures!
I was impressed, then, when I noticed in America, a doctor had created a fictional super hero (because real super heroes can’t just be created) by the name of Captain Cutaneum, to help educate children, highlighting the importance of taking care of your skin in the Sun. Dr. Lines employs educational sessions in person, and uses his website to promote his message through songs, comic books and various merchandise.
What a clever idea!
The hope is that the message of good skin care will reach as many children as possible, while they are young, to help form lasting healthy habits. Wonderful!
So avoid being burned. Wear a hat like Captain Cutaneum. Keep yourself covered up, use lotion, wear sunglasses, stay in the shade when possible and whatever you do, keep an eye peeled for the evil baddies Melanoma and Squamous!
Putting some thought into how are you spending your summer will help keep you and your family safe. Have fun guys!
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