LONDON: The risk of contracting skin cancer by use of sunbeds has trebled in 10 years, according to experts. Sunbeds of today are known to give out stronger radiation as increased demand for instant tan has led to the making of more powerful sunbeds with four out of five of these breaking the safety norms, according to recent research.
Dr Harry Moseley of Ninewalls Hospital and Medical School in Dundee conducted a survey in 50 premises in Perth and Kinross and the city of Dundee, which located tanning studios, beauty salons, sports centers, hairdressers and video shops, and examined 133 sunbeds in these premises. Presenting the findings at a meeting of the Society for Radiological Protection Tuesday, Moseley said his study found that 83 per cent of the sunbeds had UV light outputs that exceeded recommendations laid down in the British and European standards.
When the results were compared with a similar study in Perth and Kinross in 1997, it was found that the new data indicated that the risk of developing skin cancer from sunbed use is now between two and three times higher than it was estimated in 1997.
Estimates show that there has been a 30 per cent increase in the number of unregulated, privately operated sunbeds and there are more sunbeds with new high power lamps. The highest powered sunbed was found to emit more than twice as much harmful UV and UVB radiation than those found in 1997.
Moseley said his study discovered that many of the sunbeds were unsupervised and coin-operated, with no age limit or restrictions on the number of sessions.
He said the number of deaths due to skin cancer caused by sunbeds could be around 100 a year.
In comparison with sunlight, the sunbeds of today are much stronger and more sunbeds now have been found to have high power sun lamps which are increasing the output, particularly of UVB light.
Moseley called for regulations in the use of sunbeds and that people who use them should be fully informed of the risks. A licensing system would be preferred as it would force the operators to give information to the public.
He also said the sunbeds lead to people looking old and saggy instead of its intended use -- to look beautiful.
In the U.K., 5,990 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year, and there are 1,600 deaths.
