Kudos to Rex Stetson, Armchair Vigilante for sharing this with the world:

Monday, August 04, 2003
Sunscreen Sissies At Greater Risk For Skin Cancer
Hilarious findings today from the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, Italy. Sunscreen, designed to protect skin from harmful solar radiation known to cause sunburn, freckles, moles, and cancerous melanoma, ironically increases the risk of skin cancer! Since those most susceptible to sunburn are also the most likely to develop skin cancer, it was believed that sunscreen would reduce that risk. Researchers now believe sunburn and skin cancer are caused by different types of solar radiation, and that by preventing a sunburn from occuring, the sunscreen only encourages lengthy sun exposure that otherwise would have not occurred. Sunburn acts the as body's natural warning system for excessive radiation exposure- similar to the dosimeter radiation badges work by nuclear technicians. When too much radiation has been absorbed, the skin changes and begins to hurt- sending a warning to its owner. Unless, of course, he is wearing sunscreen. Whoops!
No word on any industry-crippling class action lawsuits yet. Similar charges have been weathered successfully by the "antibacterial soap" industry after researchers discovered increased illness among its users, many of whom suffer from weakened immune systems from lack of germ exposure-except for the soap-resistant strains of super-bacteria that now populate their homes.

// posted by Rex @ 8:48 AM

I'm just doing my part to counter stupidity in the world. -S