New research on skin cancer and tanning has found nearly half of those surveyed who sunbathed agreed it was worth getting sunburned to get a tan, while more than 40 per cent of those surveyed use tanning beds.
The research, for which more than 1,000 people were surveyed, explores beliefs, behaviours and attitudes around as well as the confidence in identifying signs of melanoma within the Irish population. Among respondents who use tanning beds, just over 10 per cent had used one in the previous year, with an average of eight sessions over the previous 12 months.
In Ireland, the incidence of melanoma has increased by 81 per cent since 1994, with more than 1,100 new cases per year. It accounts for 2 per cent of all cancer‐related deaths annually in Ireland.