Scientists vs UK's sunbeds - 27th June 2022

Banning sunbeds could result in lives spared in England, according to scientists.

Researchers at The University of Manchester have teamed up with scientists in Australia, where sunbeds have already been banned, to investigate the harmful effects and costs associated with the use of tanning booths.

One publication in the British Journal of Dermatology implied that in a projected model,1,200 fewer cases and 200 fewer deaths are possible, in the lifetimes of 18-year-olds. Having applied the same model to England, the findings suggest the NHS could save up to £700,000.

Health and disease specialist at The University of Manchester Professor Adele Green stressed that: "There's a lot of misunderstanding about sunbeds, such as it provides vitamin D and it gives protective tans, I'm afraid both of these are incorrect. What sunbed exposure does is bring on premature ageing and wrinkling of the skin, as well as eye problems and high risks of skin cancer."

The CEO of Melanoma Focus, Susanna Daniels debunked common myths and cautioned against sunbeds. "There's no such thing as a safe tan, particularly if you've got pale skin or lots of moles - we would advise not using them. Sunbeds give out greater doses of UV rays than the midday tropical sun and what these UV rays do is damage the DNA in your skin."

Meanwhile, The Sunbed Association vehemently refutes the findings and implications of the study. Given the booming tanning salon business in the UK, with numbers of parlours estimated to be in the thousands, The Sunbed Association strongly opposes the banning of sunbeds in the UK.

"We utterly refute the mathematically theoretical claims made in this study, not least because it relies heavily on data from studies conducted outside of the UK where the sunbed industry is not as well-regulated as it is here," stated chairman of The Sunbed Association, Gary Lipman.