Millions sunburnt every summer weekend

AUSTRALIANS are less likely to seek tans but incidental sunburn remains a problem, according to new research.

The Cancer Council has released its 2010-2011 National Sun Protection Survey which shows the number of adults getting sunburnt on summer weekends dropped to 13 per cent, compared with 18 per cent in 2003-4.

Adults seeking tans decreased from 39 per cent to 27 per cent over the same period.

Chair of the Cancer Council Australia's skin cancer committee Terry Slevin says the results are significant but there's more work to be done.

"What we've got is still a circumstance where there are some millions of Australians each weekend getting sunburnt," Mr Slevin said.

The Cancer Council estimates 363,000 adolescents and two million adults are getting sunburnt on any given summer weekend.

Mr Slevin is warning people about incidental exposure.

"Sunburn is very commonly linked with water sports but it's linked with things like gardening," he said.

The most common reasons people cited for getting sunburnt included forgetting to wear sun protection or letting their sunscreen wear off, the Cancer Council says.

Fashion also plays a role, particularly among younger people, Mr Slevin says.

The proportion of adolescents actively seeking a tan dropped from 60 per cent in the first survey to 45 per cent in the 2010-11 survey.

Mr Slevin said adolescents were not driven by long-term health concerns, unlike adults.

However, the total number of non-melanoma skin cancers increased from 412,493 in 1997 to 767,347 in 2010 - an enormous economic burden.

The cost of treating cancerous skin lesions was more than $500 million each year, Mr Slevin said.

"Skin cancer prevention in Australia is an extraordinarily sound investment," he said.

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