McGrath: Young people must be aware of dangers of sun
Colin McGrath MLA, SDLP Opposition Health Spokesperso, has said young people’s attitudes to sun care has highlighted the need for cross-departmental Executive action.
He was speaking following the publishing of the Young Persons Behaviour and Attitudes Survey, which included their views on protection in the sun.
South Down MLA Mr McGrath said: “The publication of our young people’s behaviours and attitudes to care in the sun is concerning, particularly as we commence Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
“These findings make for stark reading, and nowhere is this evidenced more than in behaviour and attitudes to sun cream.
“Skin cancer is the single most prevalent form of cancer here in the North (31%) and utilising sun cream is an essential defence against this.
“The recently published data details that when spending 30 minutes or more in the sun, only 65% of our young people will use sun cream ‘always’ or ‘often’.
“It’s startling that only 58% of boys compared to 73% of girls use sun cream always or often.
“As young people make their way from Year 8 to Year 12 those who use sun cream always or often drop from 72% to a worrying 59%.
“It is our view that it is incumbent upon our Executive to act upon these findings, given the prevalence of skin cancer in our society.
“This requires our health and education departments to work together to deliver better outcomes through increasing the number of people using sun cream and the Health Minister to resume the review of the Skin Cancer Prevention Strategy which expired three years ago.
“We also need the Education Minister to review what education around sun cream is being presented to our young people in schools and to work with the entire Executive to make our young people aware of these dangers and keep them safe.
