Many Brits ignore UV warnings

London - Statistics released to coincide with Melanoma Awareness Month here show that more than a third - 36 percent - of United Kingdom residents still neglect to use sunscreen, Medical News Today reports.

Results of a survey commissioned by skincare firm La Roche-Posay indicate that despite the fact that nearly 100,000 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year in the U.K. - and despite widespread advisories warning of the dangers of unprotected exposure to the sun’s rays - 26 percent of residents suffered sunburns last summer.

Eighty-six percent say they do not know what UVA and UVB rays are, and 25 percent say they are more concerned about getting a tan than protecting their skin.

Medical News Today quotes dermatologist and melanoma expert Jonathan Bowling, M.D., as saying, “We must make sure we do not get caught out by the power of the British sun. … Even on a cloudy day, in the U.K., UV rays can penetrate the skin, causing sunburn, which is a leading cause of skin cancer.”