Courting cancer? Israelis increasingly use viral UV index hack to get ‘instant tan’
Reporter at The Times of IsraelIt was 82 degrees Fahrenheit on a recent afternoon, and the UV index reached 11+ across Israel, prompting the Israel Meteorological Service to urge the public to avoid direct sun exposure during peak hours.But for 16-year-old Abigail Wolf, it was the best time to go out and tan on the beach in Shavei Zion, Western Galilee.“People say, you shouldn’t go out when it’s a 10 or 11,” Wolf told The Times of Israel as she sat on the shoreline. “But when I see a 10 or an 11 on the index, that’s when I go out for about 40 minutes to get a better tan.”Scientists created the UV Index in 1992 as a public safety tool to minimize the risk of UV radiation, which causes sunburn, tissue damage and skin cancer. The numerical scale starts at zero, indicating a low risk of UV radiation, with…
Israelis are increasingly using the UV index, originally designed as a public safety tool, to determine the best times for tanning, a trend particularly prevalent among young adults and teens. Despite warnings from the Israel Meteorological Service and health professionals about the dangers of high UV radiation, individuals like 16-year-old Abigail Wolf intentionally seek out high UV index days for faster tanning. Dr. Efrat Bar-Ilan, a senior pediatric dermatologist, notes a concerning rise in this behavior, stating, "They know UV radiation is bad, but they cannot comprehend the long-term risk to their health. They just want the instant tan, the instant glow." While Israel has a high melanoma rate, it also boasts one of the lowest mortality rates due to early detection. Health officials and dermatologists advise avoiding sun exposure during peak UV hours and using protective measures, countering misinformation about sunscreen safety.
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