The weather has truly changed. It is Summer and people are already flocking to the beaches to lay in the sun and enjoy some vitamins, straight from the sun.

It happens every year. Summer seems like it is still quite a way off, and then all of a sudden, it hits you. It’s blazing hot and the UV Index shoots up. The initial reaction we all have is to hit the beach and sit in the sun, en masse. But in doing so, we forget one thing – the risk of melanoma; cancer.

This year, like every year, the Health Division launched its melanoma awareness campaign just as the heat kicked in. It has to be said, there is a lot more awareness about melanoma now, than there was just a few years ago. It is a combination of two things – information campaigns, and the devastating shock that people get when they suddenly hear of family or acquaintances who contract it.

In fact, there is a strong link between episodes of sunburn in childhood and adolescence, and the subsequent development of melanoma, according to Lawrence Scerri, chairman of the Department of Dermatology and Venereology, and vice-president at the Malta Association of Dermatology and Venereology.

Melanoma skin cancer is undeniably linked to sun exposure; it is by far the commonest skin disease-related cause of death worldwide, and its incidence has been increasing progressively. Many youngsters still think, though, that they can expose themselves to the sun and ‘remain beautiful for ever’. The sad truth is that you do not; one’s skin becomes thicker, spotty and wrinkled. Every sunburn counts, and there is no such thing as a healthy tan.

The skin produces a dark-coloured pigment, melanin, as a shield against further damage from ultraviolet radiation. The darkening provides some protection against sunburn. According to the World Health Organisation and others, there are a number of precautions one should take in the sun. This includes limiting time in the midday sun, watching for the UV index, using shade, wearing protective clothing and using sunscreen.

The sun today is hotter than it was in years gone by. We will not go into the usual reasons, but the message is loud and clear – do not sit in the sun without skin protection. We are a Mediterranean people and we love our sun. But our forebears were not daft, they napped in the afternoon for a reason – to stay out of the sun. While we may no longer afford a siesta in today’s day and age, we should still try and avoid staying in direct sunlight at certain points in the day. If it is unavoidable, then use sunscreen.