Metro Detroiters sound off on the sunscreen debate taking over social media

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(WXYZ) — Summer weather is here and many metro Detroiters will be spending more time outside, soaking up the sun.

While you're out there, medical experts are reminding people to wear sunscreen. It stems from a new report from the Orlando Health Care Institute that found one in seven adults under the age of 35 think daily sunscreen use is more harmful to the skin that direct sun exposure.

These theories are starting to spread on social media. The sunscreen debate got the people we spoke with at Lake St. Clair Metropark pretty fired up.

"You've got folks that have really no background and you know, the, the sunscreen is full of chemicals and it's dangerous for you. It's not really the case," our Chief Health Editor, Dr. Partha Nandi, said. "You know, we know that the chemicals in, in sunscreen, it are safe and they protect you from the harmful UV rays that come in and it can damage your DNA."

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"I think sunscreen is very important. I know that Michiganders have a high rate of skin cancer, and so it's really important to have sunscreen on every day," one man told us.

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"I was just talking with some friends the other day and we determined that cancer has gone up because of sunscreen. Skin, skin cancer," one woman told us. "I just don't think it's always necessary and there's other alternatives. You can get mineral sunscreen things that are just less harmful to the body."

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"Anti-sunscreen is stupid because wearing sunscreen protects against sun cancer, even for people of color. Like everybody and anti aging," another woman said.

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"I use anything over SPF 30 for my boys," Nandi said. "I'm getting over SPF 50 but I think at least having SPF 30 then having U VA and UVB wide protection, so you're, you're not just getting A or B but just, you have to get both together SPF 100."

"Honestly, if you don't want to wear it, don't, you know, this is your world we're living in it," another woman said.

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"I wear sunscreen any time I go out, you gotta have it on you. You know, I can't get any tanner and I'm not trying to get cancer out. Sunscreen's been protecting to me my whole life," two men told us.

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