NEW research reveals only 12 per cent of teens believe a tanned look is more healthy.

The Cancer Council research, released to coincide with National Skin Cancer Action Week this week, says there has been a 15 per cent fall in teens who prefer a tan since 2003-04.

Cancer Council’s latest National Sun Protection Survey conducted in summer 2010-11, shows the preference for a sun tan among 12 to 17 year-olds has steadily dropped, down to 45 per cent since the previous surveys (51 per cent in 2006-07 and 60 per cent in 2003-04).

Cancer Council Australia’s CEO, Prof Ian Olver, welcomed the findings and said the survey demonstrated Australia’s public health campaigns were beginning to show real results that would, over time, lead to a reduction in skin cancer rates.

“The sun protection message is starting to cut through, with teens more aware of the risks of tanning and sunburn,” Prof Olver said.

“While these are encouraging results, we’ve still got a big job to convince the remaining 45 per cent of teens to ditch the tan.”

Good news from the survey was tempered by the finding that one in five teens was still getting burnt on a typical weekend in summer.

A particularly worrying aspect of the research, according to Professor Olver, was that 12 to 14 year-olds were more prone to sunburn than older teens (15-17), even though they were less likely to seek to tan.

“This indicates that 12-14 year-olds are doing outdoor activities, which is a good thing, but they are neglecting to cover up,” he said.

According to the Australasian College of Dermatologists’ Dr Phillip Artemi, skin damage is cumulative, with sun exposure in younger years contributing to the lifetime risk of skin cancer.

“The research shows attitudes are changing, which is great news”, Dr Artemi said.

“There are more than 10,300 cases of melanoma in Australia each year and it’s the most common cancer among people aged 15 to 44. We can expect this figure to drop over time as the trend for young people to avoid tanning continues to improve.”