Charity says sunbeds should come with cancer warnings
Tanning salons should have graphic warning signs similar to those found on cigarette packets in order to warn customers about the dangers of using sunbeds, a leading charity has said.
The move could save lives, according to Skin Cancer UK, which is calling on the Government to update legislation and make warning signs mandatory.
The charity’s chief executive Gill Nuttall said sunbeds are banned in “many countries”, including Australia and Brazil, “yet in the UK we don’t even warn people about the potential danger”.
“We’re asking for the Government to update its legislation and put warning signs into tanning salons – much like we have for cigarettes or alcohol,” she added. “Sunbed use kills people needlessly, so the mandatory installation of warning signs feels like a small, but important change. It will save lives, simple as that.”
The call comes 13 years after the introduction of the Sunbed Regulation Act, which banned under 18s from using them.
However, Skin Cancer UK has raised concerns that social media is fuelling a rise in tanning bed usage among younger people.
It claims there has been more than 200 million searches for the term #sunbed on the video platform Tiktok in the last 12 months.
In January, reality star Kim Kardashian posted a tour of her Sknn by Kim offices, which included a sunbed. She defended her use of tanning beds however, saying they help with her psoriasis.
Cancer Research UK estimates that there are about 16,700 cases of melanoma, a type of skin cancer that can spread to other parts of the body, in the UK every year. However, predictions suggest this could rise to 26,500 by 2038-2040.
About 85 per cent of cases are caused by exposure to too much ultraviolet (UV) radiation. According to the NHS, sunbeds can emit larger doses of UV rays than the midday tropical sun.
The health service also warned that frequent exposure to UV rays under the age of 25 leads to a greater risk of developing skin cancer in later life, along with sunburn in childhood.
Ross Robinson, who noticed a lesion on his back after extensive sunbed use, called for a change in the law.
“We need to keep having this discussion so that more information is available, and people can be educated on how sunbed use dramatically increases the risk of developing melanoma which is the deadliest form of skin cancer,” said the 40-year-old from Essex.
“Moderate exposure to sunlight is healthy but consistent exposure from sunbeds is deadly. This is why I am in support of Melanoma Law and updating the current sunbed regulation.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We recognise the risks of UV radiation from sunbeds in causing skin cancer, particularly among young people. That’s why the Sunbeds Act prohibits people under 18 from using them, and we keep the Act under constant review to ensure it remains fit for purpose.”