Bill to ban sunbed use for under-18s divides industry

A bill to ban sunbed use for under-18s has sparked heated reaction in the industry.

The bill was raised by Cardiff North MP Julie Morgan and had its second reading in the House of Commons on January 29. If passed, it will charge salon owners with checking the age of clients using their sunbeds, and could lead to a ban of unstaffed, coin-operated sunbeds. It would also give law enforcers the power to penalise those who breach the ban.

The campaign has been backed by Sandra McClumpha, chief executive of fake tan brand Fake Bake. McClumpha delivered more than 12,786 signatures to public health minister Gillian Merron supporting the ban the day before the second reading of the bill.

McClumpha said the industry needs more regulation. “There is no regulation for this part of the industry. Someone needs to be responsible for those using sunbeds. Every year someone gets third-degree burns from an unstaffed sunbed, and they are usually under 18.”

She also pointed out that the legislation would benefit the sunbed industry. “If you take out the biggest culprits, it gives anyone else a fighting chance.”

The Sunbed Association (TSA), the non-profit trade body, supports the idea of banning unstaffed sunbeds, but argues that the industry is being unfairly targeted because of the actions of a minority.

“The majority of tanning operators do not allow children to use their sunbeds. Underage use is simply not a widespread problem – yet the whole industry has become tarnished by well-funded campaigns supported by celebrities,” said Gary Lipman, managing director of sunbed manufacturer Ergoline UK and chairman of the TSA’s media committee.

Leonor Stjepic, chief executive of Raft, the charity that pioneers medical research into improved treatment for burns, wounds and other skin traumas, such as skin cancer, welcomed the progress of the bill, but pointed out that this is only the start.

“This is a good first step, but more needs to be done to ban underage sunbed use. It will hopefully get rid of coin-operated beds and kiosks, but people will still use sunbeds. We want to make sunbeds uncool and let people know that there are alternatives.”

In the UK more than 1,800 people a year die from melanoma. The UK rate of melanoma has quadrupled since 1975.

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