Sharon Hodgson MP has backed calls to protect children from sunbeds at a Cancer Research UK event in Parliament.

Yesterday (January 13th) the Gateshead and Washington MP gave her support to a Private Member’s Bill to prevent under 18s from using sunbeds.

Sharon was among dozens of MPs who heard how children raise 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 sunbeds. In one case a 14 year old Welsh girl suffered first degree burns after visiting an unmanned tanning salon.

MPs were urged to support Cardiff North MP Julie Morgan’s Private Member’s Bill to ensure that children were no longer able to put their health at risk in this way.

Sharon Hodgson MP said:

“I was very shocked to hear how dangerous sunbeds can be to children’s health – and how many under 18s seem to be using them. We must act to prevent young people having access to sunbeds. And I will be giving my full support to this Bill.

”Cancer Research UK found that 87 per cent of the public want a law to stop under 18s using sunbeds and 90 per cent support sunbed salons being staffed.”

Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said:

“In Scotland under 18s are now banned from using sunbeds. But this is not the case in England and Wales. Cancer Research UK is deeply concerned about how easy it is for a very large number of youngsters, particularly girls, to use sunbeds and there is strong evidence linking sunbed use with skin cancer .

“In the UK the number of people diagnosed with skin cancer is rising faster than any other cancer. And we believe that getting a law passed in Parliament to protect young people and teenagers from the dangers of sunbeds is crucial to help buck this worrying trend.”

According to Cancer Research UK using sunbeds for the first time under the age of 35 increases the risk of the most dangerous form of skin cancer by 75 per cent.

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Sharon Hodgson MP
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