Hi

A quick reply to what Kirsty re. health promotion and skin cancer.

I agree that it is unfortunate that even though there is more awareness
about risk of UV exposure, the incidence  of skin cancer is not declining.
This is a worry.

Nevertheless, I think in a country like Australia where prevalence of skin
cancer is one of the highest in the world, in the last few years we have
seen some good examples of health promotion strategies.

There have been media campaigns encouraging people to cover up, wear hats
and sunscreen; public places such as universities schools have more areas
with cover from the sun for people to sit under when they are outdoors. I
see more people wearing hats,e.g.. kids at school have to wear hats as part
of their uniform. Only in the recent years, I have noticed more children
playing on the beach all covered up. I don't remember as a child being this
"sun conscious".
As an observer I have noticed a change in peoples behaviour and an increased
awareness about the harmful effects of UV radiation. Most Australians are
aware of the importance of protection from the sun, and they make conscious
decisions in their everyday activities. Unfortunately there are still some
that will prefer to lie on the beach in the middle of the day and putting
"oil" on rather that 30+ sunscreen.

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