Danish youth use UV index to maximize sun exposure despite risks

Nearly half of young Danes actively check the UV index to determine peak sun intensity for tanning, despite well-documented health dangers, a new report by Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) reveals.

A survey conducted by DR found that 46 percent of respondents between the ages of 16 and 29 deliberately seek out high UV periods to sunbathe aggressively—colloquially referred to as “stege” (to fry)—even as health authorities warn of sharply increased skin cancer risks.

The practice persists despite public health campaigns emphasizing the link between excessive UV exposure and melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Experts have long cautioned that intentional tanning, particularly during peak UV hours, significantly raises long-term cancer risk.