Young Australians Ignorant To Suntanning Dangers Targeted In New Campaign

A new campaign targeting the one in three young Australians who believe it’s fine to suntan will launch on Monday.

The social media campaign, End the Trend, is a $7.3 million attempt to change the attitudes of 18- to 30-year-olds who choose to tan in the sun.

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Just 15 minutes in the sun unprotected can cause damage to the skin, while sun exposure accounts for 80 per cent of visible ageing.

Melanoma survivor an Olympic swimmer Sam Short Is one of the more than 50 digital content creators who will feature in the campaign – spreading sun safe messages across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify.

Health Minister Mark Butler said the campaign was an attempt to get through to young people with “bulletproof” mindsets.

“Young people can think they’re bulletproof and that’s certainly the case when it comes to skin cancer,” he said.

“They think it won’t happen to them, but the sad fact is – it can.

“We’re partnering with people they’ll listen to so we can help normalise sun protection and keep younger Australians safe from skin cancer.”

The campaign launches just after melanoma researcher Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer were named the joint 2024 Australian of the Year, pledging to continue their work on urging Australians to be sun smart and the dangers of sun tanning.

People can visit the End the Trend campaign website here.

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