Tanning salons on the high street, in leisure centres and in hotels may be contributing to an alarming rise in the potentially deadly malignant melanoma in the UK. Cancer Research UK has launched a new campaign “SunSmart” citing evidence that the deadliest form of skin cancer has now become the most common kind of cancer for women in their 20s. The risks are greatest among younger girls whose skin offers least protection to time spent under the rays of a tanning machine.

Cancer Research argues that sunbeds don’t offer a safe way to tan. The intensity of UV rays in some sunbeds can be more than 10 times stronger than the midday sun. “Excessive exposure to UV damages the DNA in skin cells which increases the risk of skin cancer and makes skin age faster.

The lack of awareness of the risks of using tanning machines is a clear case of information failure. In Scotland the government is using regulation to attack the problem. Legislation (yet to be enforced) has been passed to ban under 18s from using sunbeds and for all sunbed salons to be supervised and proper information provided to customers.