Irish people have a high awareness of the factors that cause skin cancer but the knowledge is not making them more careful, according to an Irish Cancer Society survey.
A warning was also issued yesterday that the unpredictable Irish weather was not an excuse for avoiding the use of sunscreens - almost 7,500 people develop skin cancer each year in the State.
At the launch of its Sunsmart 1999 campaign, the society published the results of the IMS survey of adults carried out at the start of last month. The first question put to people was what factors they might see as leading to an increase in the risk of skin cancer.
Almost 80 per cent of people mentioned sunbathing as a risk. The number of people unable to mention any reason was particularly high in the over-65 age group.
Ms Avril Gillatt, manager of the society's health promotion unit, said the survey showed that while people had a high level of awareness of the causes of skin cancer, "that is not translated into action and change of behaviour."
Consultant dermatologist Dr Gillian Murphy said: "The last thing we want to do is to spoil people's enjoyment. You can go on holidays and do all the things that you want to do as long as you just change your behaviour slightly.
"People understand that it is not just sunbathing that causes skin cancer, we need to emphasise that it can simply be caused by being outdoors - whether sitting, walking, hiking or golfing. People should wear a hat, wear appropriate clothing and a high-factor sunblock."
Dr Murphy said it was a misconception that people are at risk from skin cancer only when they go on sun holidays.
"We have looked at Irish people who have got skin cancer and most of them have not been abroad. The problem is that our weather is unpredictable. People find themselves caught in a situation that when the sun comes out they are not prepared. We should expect intermittent sunshine."
She said that Irish people were at a higher risk because there was such a high proportion of fair-skinned people. She also pointed out that men who lost their hair at an early age "almost inevitably" got skin cancer by the time they reached their 60s.
As well as purchasing a high-factor sun-block, she said, it was important to use enough of it when in the sun. "A 60ml bottle should be gone in two applications," said Dr Murphy.