Schools should enforce rules to protect students from ultraviolet radiation, says an expert from New Zealand, a country which has the highest per head rate of skin cancer in the world.
'Just one blistering sunburn in childhood can double a person's chances of developing skin cancer later,' says Wendy Billingsley, National SunSmart manager of the Cancer Society of New Zealand.
'There is strong evidence that excessive exposure to UV during childhood and adolescence is a risk factor later in life.
'It's especially important for young people in Hong Kong to know about the dangers of ultraviolet rays. The fair skin of Asians is more likely to burn than people with darker, olive skin.'
It is estimated that the majority of a person's lifetime UV exposure occurs during childhood.
'Schools should enforce the use of hats during lunch breaks, and encourage students to stay in the shade,' said Ms Billingsley, who visited Hong Kong last week to help launch the 2006 Hong Kong Cancer Fund Be SunSmart skin cancer awareness campaign, now in its fourth year.