Are Kiwis taking Skin Cancer seriously?

Are Kiwis taking Skin Cancer seriously?

Auckland, 25 August 2017. New survey reveals Kiwi attitudes slip when it comes to slopping on the sunscreen.

The latest Canstar Blue survey of 1,589 New Zealanders has revealed that over 40% of Kiwis still go out in the sun without sunscreen. In addition 24% of people don’t wear a sunhat.

Commenting, Canstar Blue spokesperson, Emma Quantrill said:

“It’s a frightening fact that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in New Zealand and the incidence of melanoma – the most serious type – is higher here than anywhere else in the world. With these statistics, it’s unbelievable that such large numbers of people are still taking unnecessary risks.

“It’s our younger generation, our millennials, who are least likely to protect their skin with sunscreen or wear a hat, which is a worrying trend. Damage caused to skin when we are younger puts us at a much higher risk in the years to come. Add to this our findings that only 7% of Gen Yers and 15% of Gen Xers have regular mole checks, it’s a worrying scenario.”

So why is it so bad in New Zealand?

Over 90% of skin cancers are caused by overexposure to Ultra Violet rays or UV for short. New Zealand has some of the highest levels of UV radiation in the world. Couple this with our love of the outdoors and the fair skins of our large pakeha population, it’s obvious why we need to take precautions.

“There’s no excuse and some of us need to do better” continues Quantrill. “The Sun Safe message is a one we all know well and is repeated year after year but our survey shows there are still people out there who, for whatever reason, are choosing to ignore it. That’s not a wise choice.”

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