Press Release: Wednesday 5 February 2025
Minister Murnane O’Connor invites children to enter the Get SunSmart! Art Competition
Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy Jennifer Murnane O’Connor has today launched this year’s annual Get SunSmart! Art Competition.
The competition which is run in partnership with Healthy Ireland and the National Cancer Control Programme in the Health Service Executive (HSE), is now in its fourth year and will run until Friday, 28 March 2025.
Open to pre-school and primary school-aged children, it aims to increase awareness of the importance of following everyday protective behaviours that help to reduce the risk of skin cancer.
Minister Murnane O’Connor said:
“Instilling healthy habits in our children at a young age is vital for their health later in life. This is also true of skin protection. We know that exposure to UV radiation in childhood is particularly harmful as children’s skin is vulnerable to damage, leading to an increased risk of developing melanoma in later life.
“Skin cancer is almost entirely preventable, yet it is the most common cancer in Ireland with around 11,000 new cases per year. Reducing rates of skin cancer is a significant part of our drive to improve overall population health, and this starts by instilling good skin protection behaviours in childhood.
“The Get SunSmart! Art competition is a wonderful way for children to learn healthy behaviours while expressing their creativity and I look forward to seeing the results of their efforts in the coming months.”
Depending on their age group children will be tasked with either colouring SunSmart colouring sheets or drawing their own picture illustrating how to be SunSmart.
To be SunSmart you need to follow the 5Ss of the SunSmart code, from April to September, even on cloudy days:
Slip on clothing that covers your skin such as wearing long sleeves and collared t-shirts.
Slop on broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) water-resistant sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30+ for adults and 50+ for children, with high UVA protection. Reapply regularly.
Slap on a hat with a wide brim: Protect your face, ears and neck.
Seek shade: Sit in cover of trees to avoid direct sunlight and use a sunshade on your buggy or pram. Keep babies and children out of direct sunlight.
Slide on sunglasses to protect your eyes.
There are four competition categories. All category winners will receive an Office of Public Works (OPW) Family Heritage Card, a Family Day Pass for Dublin Zoo, and a National Book Token worth €20
For more information and details on how to enter go to www.gov.ie/getsunsmart