The Netherlands will provide Free Sunscreen to its Citizens

Citizens of the Netherlands will receive free sun protection this summer as authorities try to tackle record levels of skin cancer in the country.

Sunscreen dispensers will be available this summer in schools and universities, at festivals, in parks, sports venues and open public spaces across the country, the government has announced.

It said it wanted to enable everyone to have access to sun protection and not be inconvenienced by factors such as cost.

In a public health initiative believed to be only similar in scale to - and partly inspired by - a decades-long campaign in Australia encouraging people to dress up, put on sunscreen and wear a hat, Dutch authorities hope that applying sunscreen becomes a habit.

Across Europe, skin cancer cases have been increasing over the past two decades. In neighboring Germany, according to the Federal Statistical Office, in 2021 the number of deaths from skin cancer increased by 55% compared to 2001.

Unusually high temperatures were recorded in central Europe over the weekend and are expected to continue in the coming weeks.