MPs press for UK ban on sunbed advertising to curb preventable skin cancer

A cross-party group of UK MPs has called for a ban on sunbed advertising across the United Kingdom in a report published on Friday. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on cancer prevention presented its findings at a public Westminster session.

The report draws on data from the British Association of Dermatologists, which estimates that around 18,000 new melanoma cases are diagnosed every year in the UK and that approximately 87 per cent are preventable. According to the association, sunbed use is linked to a 75 per cent higher melanoma risk among under-35s.

The co-chair of the APPG cited Australia's 2014 ban on commercial sunbed services as a benchmark. "Australia's outcomes since the ban give UK policymakers concrete evidence to draw on," she said.

The proposed advertising ban would cover direct consumer marketing, influencer-led social-media content and retail-linked loyalty programmes. The report includes a 41-case compendium showing how current UK Advertising Standards Authority rules are routinely circumvented by sunbed operators.

Dermatologists have for several years described how marketing aimed at 18 to 25-year-olds has reinforced ideas of a "healthy tan" alongside the sector. Cancer Research UK's most recent field survey found that 38 per cent of British adults using sunbeds said advertising or social-media content had influenced their decision to start.

A government spokesperson said ministers would "carefully consider" the recommendations. The Department of Health and Social Care noted that commercial sunbed use by under-18s has been illegal in the UK since 2010. The APPG report argues that enforcement of existing rules for adult users is weak in practice.

The Advertising Standards Authority banned sunbed advertisements claiming "vitamin D supplementation" benefits a year ago, but the APPG says a new wave of marketing now carries similar messages indirectly. The report calls on social-media platforms to introduce dedicated content filters for sunbed promotions.

Melanoma UK and the British Skin Foundation issued a joint statement supporting the report. "Skin cancer remains one of the major cancer types in the UK that is, on its own, largely preventable; policy should reflect that," the statement said.

NHS figures show that annual NHS costs linked to melanoma treatment have risen from about £220 million to roughly £380 million over the last decade. The APPG estimates that a sunbed advertising ban alone could lower annual case counts by between 5 and 10 per cent.

A government consultation paper, including the Department of Health and Social Care's formal response, is expected within the next three months. Other measures expected to feature in the wider Skin Cancer Prevention Strategy include sun-safety education in schools and UV-exposure warnings on weather broadcasts.