UK Committee Report Recommends Under-18 Tanning Ban

Two years ago, the Welsh Assembly Government asked the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (Comare) to develop advice regarding indoor tanning equipment. Recently, the group released its report, recommending that people under 18 be prohibited from using artificial tanning devices.

According to an article published on Wales Online, the group links UV radiation to all types of skin cancer, including malignant melanomas, as well as aging of the skin and other medical conditions, such as cataracts. Comare says that all salons should be licensed and registered, and offer protective eye goggles to customers, and that unmanned salons should be banned. It also wants funding for a nationwide skin cancer campaign to be increased.

The following is an excerpt from the Comare report:

“The key concern is that artificial sources of UV radiation not only have the same acute and long-term effects on skin of structural damage and risk of skin cancer, but more importantly it is possible to easily expose the skin to levels of UV radiation equivalent to Mediterranean sun in intense doses and over very prolonged periods. Not only is the possibility of acute burning eminently feasible with new powerful devices but extreme levels of chronic exposure can occur that are much greater than the average UK population could achieve by holidaying abroad or living in the South West.”

Source:

Wales Online: ‘Regulating Tanning Salons Will Protect Young People In Wales’