Quarter of a million children in England at risk of skin cancer from sunbeds

A staggering quarter of a million children in England between the age of 11 to 17 are putting their health at risk by using sunbeds.

Catherine Thomson from Cancer Research UK and Professor Chris Twelves from Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine & St James’s University Hospital in Leeds, say in this week’s BMJ that the use of  sunbeds in children is causing serious concern.

Cancer Research UK has recently carried out two studies involving more than 9000 children in England.

The average age when first using a sunbed was found to be just 14 years of age. In Liverpool and Sunderland, 40 per cent of 15-17 year old girls used sunbeds weekly.

The use of sunbeds increases the risk of developing malignant melanoma.