Sun safety prize puts others in the shade

Published on Monday 15 June 2009 22:47

YOUNG people are being urged to protect their skin in the sun via a campaign using social networking sites.

Rates of the most serious type of skin cancer, malignant melanoma, have more than doubled among young people in the past 20 years. It is now the most common form of cancer in the UK among those aged 15 to 34, with 980 cases in 2006.

The SunSmart campaign from Cancer Research UK hopes to raise awareness of the need to wear high-factor sunscreen.

Singer Ladyhawke will play an exclusive gig in London for the winner of a competition. Young people are being urged to create gig lists via the website www.skindividual.co.uk, which can be linked with their profiles on websites such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and Twitter.

The ten people with the longest guest lists on 26 June will be invited to submit a short film – taken on a mobile phone, camera or webcam – detailing why their network should win the gig.

The campaign comes as a survey of those aged 16 to 24 found 28 per cent believed there was competition among their peers over who had the best tan.