Another Aussie Extreme- the SUN!

Although I tend to poke fun at many parts of Australian culture and customs, there's one part that I've really come to appreciate- and admire really.  And that is their culture and attitudes regarding sun protection. 

While I don't know the exact statistics, I do know that Australia has/had historically experienced some of the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world, even highest in the state of Queensland (where we happen to be living).  Australia in general, and especially Queensland, has very high UV levels year-round due to the fact that the sun is almost always directly above throughout the day (which is also why there aren't really seasons here).  This map shows the typical UV levels in the country:

See how pretty much the whole country is in that 11+ Extreme area?  Yikes!  Honestly, though, you can FEEL that extreme sun even without having seen this map- you can just tell that the sun is super strong here.  I mean, I've lived in areas known for sun/heat (Arizona, California, Texas), but they truly don't compare to the sun's strength here. 

However, in recent decades, Australia has really made a big social shift in their attitudes toward sun protection and skin cancer prevention.  There are tons of campaigns, commercials, etc.  There's even a whole government council dedicated to this cause.  It's really pretty cool if you ask me. 

Uniforms are worn in almost all of the schools here, and part of that uniform is a sun hat- even in high school.  Seriously.  Kids are not allowed to play at recess if they don't have their hats.  They're kind of silly looking hats, but the kids look cute in them in my opinion.  Also, the playgrounds tend to have many more constructed areas for shade than schools in the US. 

The hats usually look something like this. 

Even adults are usually seen wearing sun hats when out even for short periods of time in the sun.  Aussie's still love their beaches, but you're much more likely to see people with hats, wearing swim shirts/rash guards, and/or sitting in sun tents.  It's much more "socially-acceptable" and pretty much a norm here to protect yourself from the sun.  Which I find very refreshing- and different from "sun culture" in the US. 

Of course, I admit that I do sometimes still think that tan skin is more attractive, I enjoy sun bathing at the beach as much as the next person, and (unfortunately) I have had my fair share of bad sunburns (which I SO regret now).  However, because of a strong history of skin cancer on both sides of my family, and my own incidence of skin cancer about two years ago at just 26 years old, I really have to be very careful with the sun.  And my attitudes have really begun to change.  So I really appreciate the sun safety culture here.  It makes it much easier for me to be "proud" of my fair fair skin and to remember that it actually just means my skin is healthy.  It's just not worth it to me anymore. 

So, Australia, even though I may poke fun at many aspects of your culture like your tendency to abbreviate everything, your obsession with neon colors, your affinity for beet root (oops, I'm doing it again!), I do appreciate and really admire this element of your culture and attitudes.  Take note, America!