Some 40 per cent of adults never use sunscreen, according to a survey published this morning.
The figure was revealed by the Irish Cancer Society(ICS) as it began its annual SunSmart campaign urging people protect themselves from the sun's harmful rays.
The national survey of 1,200 people over the age of 15 was done last month and found that of those who said they never use sunscreen 65 per cent were men and 35 per cent women
Of the 60 per cent of adults that do regularly use sunscreen, only 42 per cent look for high protection as the main decision factor when choosing a product.
Only a small minority of people look for the level of UV radiation protection on the pack.
The ICS says that it is imperative to choose a sunscreen that offers protection against both UVB and UVA rays.
The National Cancer Registry estimates that there are on average 5,596 new cases of skin cancer diagnosed in the Republic of Ireland every year. Of these, 5194 are non-melanoma skin cancer, which is the more common but highly curable form of skin cancer and.
The remaining 402 are cases of malignant melanoma which is the least common but most dangerous form of skin cancer. There are on average 64 deaths from skin cancer every year.
