Tom Brake MP warned residents of the dangers of burning in the sun after learning more about sun safety from experts.
Mr Brake attended the annual Molewatch Clinic at Westminster last week where he was given a warning message by experts from Cancer Research UK about the risk posed by sunburn.
He is now warning 18 to 30 year-olds in his constituency to avoid cancers such as malignant melanoma by not staying in the sun for too long and using sunscreen.
Mr Brake said: “With this summer in the UK promising to be one of the best for years, and people turning out in large numbers for fantastic outdoor events like the St Helier Festival or Carshalton Carnival, we must be smart this summer and slap on the factor 15.”
The charity advises anyone who notices a change in the size, colour or shape of an existing mole or patch of skin to have it checked out by a GP, especially if they are fair-skinned and have lots of moles or freckles.
Cancer Research UK’s SunSmart campaign encourages people to know their skin type and use the UV index to find out when they need to protect themselves. The five main tips of the Smart campaign are: spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm, make sure they never burn, aim to cover up with a t-shirt, hat and sunglasses, remember to take extra care with children and then use factor 15 plus sunscreen.
For information on skin cancer and the Cancer Research UK SunSmart campaign visit sunsmart.org.uk
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