Melanoma cases climb amid declining sunscreen use in Canada
Source: News Medical Life Sciences, May 2025
Despite decades of public health messaging, Canadians are spending more time in the sun and using less sun protection – raising alarms among researchers as melanoma cases continue to climb.
That trend is highlighted in a McGill University-led study that analyzed national survey data collected between 2011 and 2018 from over 77,000 people, representing a weighted sample of 21 million Canadians.
Researchers found that 75 per cent of adult Canadians reported spending at least 30 minutes in the sun on summer days off, with nearly half staying out for two hours or more. Most reported irregular or no use of sunscreen. One in three Canadians experienced a sunburn in the past year.