30 years on, slip slop slap is still important

With the new school year under way, SunSmart and the Victorian government are reminding students and parents across Victoria of the importance of being sun smart in the schoolyard, as UV levels reach record highs.

The back-to-school warning follows the release of new research highlighting the

impact exposure to UV radiation during childhood can have on skin cancer risk.

Skin cancers including melanoma are preventable by using sun protection and educating children at a young age about the dangers of UV exposure and how to stay safe in the sun.

With the back to school routine in full swing, SunSmart and the Victorian government are offering this advice to parents on how keep their children safe:

Teach them to apply their own sunscreen, so they know how to do it independently before and during school

Attach sunscreen to their backpack, so it can be an easy reminder to reapply at school

Label their child’s hat, so they can easily grab it before heading outdoors, and

Encourage their child to look for shady spaces while outdoors.

The Victorian government offered the advice to mark the major milestone of 30 years of supporting the Cancer Council’s SunSmart Victoria School Program.

Established in 1994, 90 per cent of primary schools now participate in the program, reaching almost 462,000 primary school students and their families, ensuring they remember to “Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide”.

Over the past three decades, Victoria’s hardworking teachers and educators have played a significant role in reducing the risk of melanoma and skin cancer by implementing SunSmart policies that reduce students’ UV exposure at school and teaching sensible sun protection habits from an early age.

“The SunSmart Schools Program is a world leading public health success story and we acknowledge the strong support from government over this time – undoubtedly it is making a significant difference to the burden of skin cancer in this state,” Head of SunSmart Victoria Emma Glassenbury said.

Before the SunSmart School Program in 1994, only 19 per cent of primary schools reported hat wearing. Today, that figure is 100 per cent of primary schools, showing that simple and consistent messaging works to help educate the next generation how to be smart while out in the sun.

“Victoria’s lifesaving SunSmart program has been keeping children safe for 30 years – as the UV radiation increases, it is now more important than ever for kids to be taught and practice Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide,” Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas said.