The Danish sun safety campaign ‘Reduce Your Sun between 12 & 3 pm' strives to make sun protection a natural and easy choice for Danes by providing them with knowledge and strategies to stay safe in the sun. It is the result of a close partnership between the Danish Cancer Society and TrygFonden – a Danish foundation.

 

There has been a dramatic increase in cases of skin cancer in the Danish population over the last 30 years

Background 
Skin cancer melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer are the most prevalent types of cancer in Denmark today affecting 80,000 Danes on a daily basis and killing 300 people in Denmark every year. Many years of unprotected exposure to UV radiation from the sun or sunbeds has led to a dramatic increase in cases over the last 30 years with more than 13.500 new cases of malignant melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma or basal cell carcinoma diagnosed every year.

The good news is that prevention of skin cancer is both relatively easy and inexpensive. Improving people’s attitude to the sun can prevent more than 80% of all cases.

Main initiatives
'Reduce Your Sun between 12 & 3 pm' launches three main communication initiatives every year:

• 'The Sun Holiday' campaign, targeted at the approximately 1.3 million Danes, who travel abroad every year to enjoy the sun.
• The 'Summer' campaign, targeted at families with children and young people aged 15-25 years when they are in Denmark.
• The 'Turn off the Sunbed' campaign targeted at young sunbed users (12-25 years) and their mothers.

The campaign logo is a smiley wearing a sun hat

The four sun protection guidelines
The campaign promotes four sun protection guidelines - also referred to as the 4 S’es - that should be followed especially in the UV peak period (12 - 3 pm). They are communicated in the following order of priority:

• Siesta/shade - seek shade
• Sun hat - wear a sun hat and use protective clothing
• Sunscreen - use sunscreen on uncovered skin
• Turn off the Sunbed - do not use sunbeds

All media campaigns make use of both PR activities and traditional and new media in order to reach as many people as possible. The campaign also focuses on public affairs and uses advocacy and PR to push for political changes at national and local level to promote a sun safe life in Denmark.

Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary is patron of the sun safety campaign

Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary - campaign patron
The campaign also enjoys the involvement of a high profile patron, HRH Crown Princess Mary. Growing up in Australia, Crown Princess Mary is very aware of the need to protect our skin from the damaging effects of the sun and the importance of sun safety in the fight against skin cancer. In recent years, Her Royal Highness has been actively engaged promoting sun safety in Denmark. 

Documentation, evaluation and results
All information that is communicated in the Danish campaign is based on valid international research. The campaign evaluates and/or reports on all interventions, activities and initiatives that are implemented. Documentation and evaluation are a vital and integral part of the campaign. The 'Center of Excellence for evaluation and monitoring under the Danish Sun safety campaign' (CEDS) is responsible for all evaluations, reports etc. 

Features of the Danish SunSmart Campaign

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Line Rasmussen

Sidst ændret: 26-08-2010

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