Ministers will consider banning tanning beds in the UK in a bid to reduce thousands of cancer cases and deaths.
Health Secretary James Morris today agreed to discuss the bed ban after Labor MP Sarah Owen pressured the government to “take the dangers of tanning beds seriously”.
Unprotected exposure to the devices’ UV rays leaves people vulnerable to skin cancers such as melanoma, which kills six Britons every day.
If the move went ahead, Britain would follow in Australia’s footsteps and Brazilwhere solariums have been banned for years.
Charity Melanoma UK, which has campaigned for the ban, urged ministers to “act now” to “save lives and reduce treatment costs across the NHS”.
It comes after scientists found banning the beds would prevent thousands of melanoma cases and deaths and save the NHS millions of pounds.
Health Secretary James Morris today agreed to discuss the bed ban after Labor MP Sarah Owen pressured the government to “take the dangers of tanning beds seriously”.
Ms Owen told MPs in the House of Commons today: “Sunbeds are used all year round at a very high risk.
“So does the Minister agree that it is time to take the dangers of tanning beds seriously and does the Minister support Melanoma UK’s campaign to ban the use of tanning beds – and if not, why not?”
Mr Morris replied: “Given the weather we are experiencing at the moment, issues related to melanoma are high on the priority list.
“I am very pleased to meet the honorable lady to discuss the specific issues she has raised in relation to tanning beds.”
More than 100,000 cases of melanoma are diagnosed each year in the UK and 2,500 people die from the cancer.
Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer because it can spread to other organs more quickly if not caught early.
Around one in ten adults in the UK uses sunbeds regularly, even though the devices increase the risk of all types of skin cancer by 60 per cent. It is estimated that more than 60,000 children under the age of 18 use the beds illegally.
UV exposure from tanning beds damages the DNA in our skin cells, and tanning beds typically emit more intense UV radiation than the sun.
If enough DNA damage builds up over time, it can cause cells to grow out of control, which can lead to skin cancer.
Gillian Nuttall, chief executive of Melanoma UK, said treating skin cancer “puts a heavy burden” on the NHS.
She said: “Most skin cancers are preventable by reducing exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight and indoor tanning devices – tanning beds/tanning beds.
“Logically, therefore, it is possible to reduce the burden of skin cancer by banning the use of commercial tanning beds.
“It’s not a new idea: Australia and Brazil banned it many years ago.
“Britain must act now. Understanding the costs and implications of a ban on tanning beds in the UK would provide useful evidence for healthcare decision-makers.
“A ban on tanning beds, along with a public health campaign, would save lives and reduce NHS treatment costs.”
But sunbed advocates complained that there was a lack of data to support the outright ban.
Gary Lipman, Chair of the Sunbed Association, said there is “no robust scientific evidence to support a causal link between responsible sunbed use by those who are able to tan and melanoma”.
He added: “The use of sunbeds in the UK is regulated and members of the Sunbed Association work to our strict code of operational practice.
‘We very much look forward to the opportunity to meet Sarah Owen MP and Secretary James Morris to present our position.’
It comes after researchers at the University of Manchester found in May a tanning ban would prevent and save thousands of skin cancer deaths NHS million pounds.
The team tracked the likely impact of the move on the more than 600,000 18-year-olds living in England.
Their modeling suggested that a total ban on indoor tanning beds would result in over 1,000 fewer cases of melanoma and 200 fewer melanoma deaths in their lifetime.
According to the report, if the policy were only applied to people aged 18 and over, it would also save the NHS £700,000.
But in reality, the lives saved and money saved could be much greater when the impact across all age groups is factored in, the experts claim.
