Calls To Tax Sunbeds As Fresh Evidence Of Cancer Risks Are Revealed

You might not want to keep your sun-kissed look topped up on the tanning-beds this autumn when you hear these shocking figures.

One in 20 cases of the most serious type of skin cancer is caused by people tanning themselves on sunbeds, according to new research published in the British Medical Journal.

Scientists estimate that the tanning machines, which emit powerful beams of ultraviolent light, cause 5.4 per cent of malignant melanoma cases in Europe.

Malignant melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer, as it is most likely to spread into other organs and cause death.

The research also revealed that people under the age of 25 are the most at risk from using sunbeds.

The shocking figures come as the fresh evidence linking sunbeds to cancer has led to demands for an EU tan tax this winter. Cancer campaigners argue that this fresh evidence on the dangers of sunbeds means that there is a strong case for European countries, including Ireland, to introduce the tax like the US has done.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, Simon Williams, a British sociologist said: “The EU needs to follow the example of the United States by introducing a so called tan tax on indoor tanning services.”

It looks like people who are intent on keeping up their colour this season will have to resort to the much safer, bottled tan.

Now researchers in the University of California, San Francisco, have found that sunbeds also increase the risk of these non-melanoma cancers too.

The study group calculated that people who use sunbeds regularly were at a 29 per cent increased chance of developing basal cell carcinoma, which account for eight in every 10 skin cancer cases.

Would the tax levy turn you off using sunbeds?