Norwegian cancer society warns against misusing UV index for sun exposure

The Norwegian Cancer Society has expressed serious concern over a growing trend where people use the UV index to maximize sun exposure rather than protect themselves, Dagbladet reports.

Speaking to the newspaper, general secretary Ingrid Stestadvold Ross emphasised that while the UV index is a valuable tool, it is intended to signal when protection is needed—not when to seek out the strongest rays. “We are very worried about the trend where people use this index to maximise the effect of the radiation,” she said.

Ross highlighted that nine out of ten skin cancer cases result from excessive sun exposure or tanning beds. “The skin never forgets. It stores up episodes of intense sun like a water glass—eventually it overflows, and that’s when cancer develops,” she warned. Norway ranks among the highest globally for skin cancer cases and related deaths.

A 2024 survey on sun habits, conducted by Respons Analyse for the Cancer Society and the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA), found that while 50% of respondents used the UV index to determine if sun protection was necessary, 10% admitted using it to go outside specifically when UV levels were highest.

The DSA maintains that most people use the index correctly but continues to run campaigns—particularly targeting youth—to improve sun safety awareness. Senior advisor Dan Henrik Sekse Stender told Dagbladet that the authority regularly publishes guidance on UV warnings, sunburn risks, and skin cancer prevention.

Meanwhile, Oslo residents enjoying early spring sunshine at Sørenga beach described mixed approaches to sun protection. Families with children stressed the importance of sunscreen, comparing it to brushing teeth, while others admitted skipping protection on low-UV days. Two nurses, both cancer ward staff, said they always use SPF 30–50 and wide-brimmed hats but had foregone sunscreen that evening after checking the UV forecast.