There has been a sharp increase in sunburn among young adults over the past year, new research has found, as health officials warn about the long-term consequences of skin damage.
The Health Service Executive’s National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) and Healthy Ireland on Wednesday launched the 2026 SunSmart campaign, a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing Ireland’s rising rates of skin cancer.
More than 11,000 people in Ireland are diagnosed with skin cancer each year, making it the most common cancer in this country. About nine out of 10 cases involve non-melanoma skin cancers, while the other cases include melanoma. Some 270 people die from skin cancer each year in Ireland.
Research conducted on behalf of the campaign found 84 per cent of adults aged 18 to 24 have been sunburned at least once over the past year.
This proportion has been rising in recent years, up from 73 per cent in 2024 and 66 per cent in 2023.
The research, which questioned a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults via an online survey, also found teenagers and young adults remain the least likely to use protective measures beyond sunscreen and the most likely to use sunbeds.
According to the organisation, the findings “reinforce the urgent need to engage younger audiences”.
UV exposure during the first 10 to 15 years of life has a disproportionate impact on lifetime skin‑cancer risk, with just three episodes of severe sunburn before age 20 more than doubling the risk of melanoma in adulthood.
Dr Breeda Neville, consultant in public health medicine at the NCCP said young people, parents, schools, sports clubs and workplaces need to “make sun protection a daily habit, not an afterthought”.
“Sunburn is not a minor inconvenience – it is visible evidence of skin damage that accumulates over time,” she added.
According to the SunSmart campaign, there are five clear ways to prevent skin-cancer. These are: slipping on clothing, using sunscreen, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, seeking shade during the hours at which the sun is strongest and wearing sunglasses.
The campaign has also urged the public to avoid deliberately tanning, to avoid sunburn and to never use sunbeds.
Dr Blaithin Moriarty, consultant dermatologist at St Vincent’s University Hospital, said skin damage doesn’t only happen on holidays in hot climates.
“In Ireland, the sun is often strong enough to cause harm – even on cloudy days. Spending time in the shade, wearing protective clothing and regularly applying sunscreen are essential,” she said.
“Just one bad sunburn can damage your skin’s DNA and increase your lifetime risk of skin cancer, including melanoma. That risk is even higher when burns occur in childhood or adolescence.”