Sunbed use by young ‘a health risk’
Reported November 12, 2009
More than a quarter of a million children could be risking their health by using sunbeds, a charity has warned.
Girls as young as 11 are giving in to peer pressure in their desperation to get a tan, according to the findings of two new surveys from Cancer Research UK.
Those living in the north of England, in cities such as Liverpool and Sunderland, are frequent users and are particularly at risk.
In a letter published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), experts from the charity said 6% of 11-17 year olds on average use sunbeds in England, rising to 11% among those living in the north. The average age of first use is 14.
In Liverpool and Sunderland, 50% of 15-17 year-old girls use sunbeds, and more than two in five use them at least once a week. The results are based on two surveys; the first from 3,100 children across England and the second from 6,200 children from six cities.
Using sunbeds is known to increase the risk of developing malignant melanoma, a potentially fatal form of skin cancer which kills more than 2,000 people a year in the UK.
Tanning on sunbeds before the age of 35 has been linked to a 75% increased risk of developing malignant melanoma. One in 10 cases of malignant melanoma are among under-35s and 30% are among under-50s. More than 10,400 cases of malignant melanoma were recorded in the UK in 2006. Cases have quadrupled since the 1970s.
Children from poorer backgrounds are more likely to use sunbeds than those from more affluent families, the latest research also found. Of all those who used a sunbed, 27% did so at least once a month and 23% did so at home. Only one in 10 (11%) of children using sunbeds were shown how they work and warned of potential harms.
Sara Hiom, Cancer Research UK’s director of health information, said: “Allowing children to be regularly exposed to harmful radiation from sunbeds is irresponsible.”
She said the charity was calling on the Government to take strong action to protect young people from the dangers of sunbeds. “Numerous other countries, including Scotland, have introduced legislation to protect children from sunbeds; we are calling on the Government to introduce legislation as a matter of urgency.”
Source : The Press Association.