Scotland bans under-18s sunbed use
Scotland bans under-18s sunbed use
Tuesday, 01, Dec 2009 12:56
By Maria Tonelli.
Under-18s in Scotland are no longer allowed to use sunbeds from today after new legislation has banned unstaffed tanning salons and the sale or hire of UV tanning equipment.
Introduced under the Public Health Act, the new law means salons will be legally required to provide users with information about the impact a sunbed can have on your health.
It also coincides with a campaign by the Scottish government and Cancer Research UK warning users about the links between sunbed use and skin cancer.
Campaign manager Katy Scammell, said: "We hope it will encourage young people to think twice about using sunbeds.
"The new legislation will mean fewer young people will put themselves at risk of developing the disease."
Cancer Research also wants the rest of the UK to follow Scotland's lead. Head of the organisation's UK policy, Sarah Woolnough, said: "The time has come for the government to take the dangers of sunbed use seriously and pass legislation.
"Not only are sunbeds now classified in the highest risk category for cancer, alongside tobacco, but there's also strong scientific evidence to show the damage they cause to the skin - both increasing skin cancer risk and ageing the skin."
Research has shown skin cancer rates to be rising faster than any other type of cancer and have more than quadrupled in the last 30 years - rising from 3.4 people per 100,00 in 1977 to 14.7 people per 100,00 in 2006.
Almost every day in the UK, a girl in her 20s is diagnosed with a malignant melanoma - the most dangerous form of skin cancer.
Experts believe the use of sunbeds is partly to blame as using a sunbed once a month or more can increase the risk of skin cancer by more than half, while using a sunbed before the age of 35 increases the risk by as much as 75 per cent.