News In Focus
30 July 2007
Bill aims to halt skin cancer epidemic
A Labour MSP is to submit a member's bill requiring all sunbed salons to be licensed and prohibiting their use by under 18s.
Ken Macintosh has gained cross-party support for his bill, which is aimed at cutting the dramatic rise in the number of skin cancer cases in Scotland. The bill, which needs a minimum of 18 signatures from at least two political parties, has already received the backing of 45 MSPs from various parties.
Of 54 individuals and organisations who responded to a consultation on the proposal for a bill, 77% were in favour and 17% in favour with reservations. Only two responses explicitly opposed a bill.
Responses approved the outlawing of uncontrolled, coin-operated or unstaffed salons, and stressed the importance of having a consistent regime across Scotland. Half of all respondents believed that legislation would lead to increased awareness of the risks, with a third also citing informed decisions by users as a benefit.
Between 1995 and 2005, the death rate from malignant melanomas rose by 30% for men and 15% for women to a total of 158 deaths.
Doctors say that many people do not know the risks of using sunbeds and that they are seeing a stready stream of younger patients with pre-malignant and malignant skin cancers.
Mr Macintosh said Scotland was in the grip of a skin cancer epidemic and that action needed to be taken now.