Sunscreen drive: There is no such thing as a safe tan was the resounding message from the Irish Cancer Society's (ICS) annual SunSmart campaign, launched yesterday at the National Concert Hall. Ali Bracken reports.
The ICS started its week-long campaign with findings of an ICS national survey of Irish attitudes to sun protection.
The survey of 1,200 people found that while 70 per cent of adults know that the sun is the main cause of skin cancer, 74 per cent said they had experienced sunburn.
"First we need to change people's attitudes," Dr Gillian Murphy, dermatologist at Beaumont Hospital and SunSmart spokeswoman, said. "People have the knowledge but this is not translating into people's behaviour."
Only 9 per cent of those surveyed were aware of the SunSmart code, which advocates appropriate behaviour in the sun to prevent skin cancer, Ireland's most common cancer.
The SunSmart code promotes the use of sunscreen with a protection factor of 15 or higher and advises people to move to the shade when the sun is at its highest. According to the ICS, 80 to 90 per cent of all cases of skin cancer in Ireland are caused by UV sun rays and are, therefore, preventable. UV rays are present even on a cloudy day in Ireland.
Another important factor to be aware of, stressed Dr Murphy, was the changeable nature of Irish weather that can leave people exposed to high temperatures without protection.
An alarming 34 per cent of those surveyed said they did not use any type of sunscreen and this practice was most common in males, particularly those over 50 and from the farming community.
People concerned about their risk of skin cancer or concerned about any new lumps or growths or changes in moles can call the Irish Cancer Society national helpline on 1800 200 700.