MP backs sunbed ban for under 18s

9.30.00am GMT Fri 15th Jan 2010

Annette Brooke MP has backed calls to protect children from sunbeds at a Cancer Research UK Parliamentary event.

On the 13th of January the MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole gave her support for a Private Member's Bill to prevent under 18s from using sunbeds.

She was among dozens of MPs who heard how young people increase their risk of skin cancer in later life by using sunbeds - recently upgraded to a top class carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

Cancer Research UK's recently commissioned survey found that in Liverpool and Sunderland half of all 15-17 year old girls have used sunbeds. Even more shocking is that more than a quarter of a million children aged 11-17 in the UK have used a sunbed.

Annette Brooke MP said "I understood that sunbeds were detrimental to ones health, particularly for young people, but I was shocked to learn just how many young children were using them. We must act to prevent there use by children and I will be giving my full support to this Bill."

Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK's chief executive said "In Scotland under 18's are now banned from using sunbeds but this is not the case in England and Wales. We are deeply concerned about how easy it is for a very large number of youngsters, particularly girls, to use sunbeds when there is strong evidence that there use is linked to skin cancer.