Teenagers face Scottish sunbed ban

Many salons already refuse to sell tanning sessions to under-16s

Anyone under 18-years-old could soon be banned from using sunbeds in Scotland.

Members of the Scottish Parliament are discussing changes to the law to make it illegal for salons to serve older teenagers.

The proposals also include making more advice available to people using sunbeds and getting rid of unstaffed coin-operated tanning units.

Doctors say more than 100 people die from sunbed use in the UK every year, mostly because of skin cancer. They say young people are particularly at risk, especially those in Scotland.

Dr Mary O¿Brien from the British Medical Association in Scotland said: ¿Your chances of developing skin cancer are much higher if you have fair skin, a high susceptibility to skin burning and freckles. People in Scotland tend to have all of the above.¿

'Protecting people'

Many salons already refuse to sell tanning sessions to anyone under 16 and some support the idea of increasing the age to 18 in law.

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Karen Oman at Aqua Sol in Oban said: ¿It¿s about protecting people.

"If we have anyone under 18 coming in we always ask for their parent¿s consent.¿

But the Sunbed Association, which represents about one in five of the UK's tanning salons, is against a ban.

Spokesperson Kathy Banks said ¿There is no medical or scientific evidence to justify banning 16 and 17-year-olds from using sunbeds".

The plans are currently being discussed by MSPs and could become law by the summer if they are backed by the Scottish Government.