By Marjory Inglis, health reporter

SUNBEDS ARE now as dangerous as the midday sun in southern Europe, a Dundee scientist warned last night.

A survey by a research team led by Dr Harry Moseley has produced shocking new evidence that means thousands of Taysiders are placing themselves at a much higher risk of developing skin cancer than previously thought.

Dr Moseley wants the Scottish Executive to ensure tanning parlours and coin-operated sunbeds are properly regulated to cut the damage from cancer-causing ultra violet rays.

Worrying evidence about a rise in high-power sunbeds and a lack of knowledge by users about the cancer risks involved was uncovered through a study of commercial sunbeds in the Dundee, Perth and Kinross areas. Visits were carried out to 50 premises, from tanning studios, beauty salons, sports centres and leisure complexes to hairdressers and video shops.

A clinical scientist based at Ninewells Hospital, Dr Moseley is very concerned that although there are standards that set limits on radiation levels produced by sunbeds, these were being largely ignored.

He said it was like having a speed limit without having any traffic policemen.

“Somebody should be picking this up in Edinburgh (at the Scottish Executive) because that is what we need,” said Dr Moseley. “You have got all these unregulated sunbeds blasting out UVBs (the particularly dangerous type of rays linked to cancer) and they’re three times stronger than the last time we studied local sunbeds.”

Earlier this year he presented research to colleagues at the Society for Radiological Protection in London.

The shock findings of that research, which compared current sunbed usage to a 1998 survey of sunbeds in the Dundee, Perth and Kinross areas, and also surveyed the habits and opinions of sunbed users, is about to be published in the British Journal of Dermatology.

The study carried out with colleagues at Ninewells revealed a 30% increase in the number of privately operated sunbeds since 1998, despite increased warnings over the cancer dangers of sunbed use.

The research team also measured levels of cancer-causing UV radiation created by each sunbed, and found that 83% produced UVB radiation levels that exceed the European standard.

Dr Moseley said the earlier study found that sunbeds carried a cancer risk similar to that of UK summer sun, but technological developments since had led to new, high power ‘fast tan’ units.

“People sometimes use sunbeds in the mistaken belief that they are a safe alternative to conventional tanning, but this is simply not the case—the average sunbed now carries the same cancer risk as the midday southern European sun,” said Dr Moseley.

“We have found a 30% increase in the number of privately operated sunbeds. This is particularly disturbing because in the earlier study we found that many privately operated sunbeds had major faults. For example, 89% did not attempt to impose a limit on the number of sessions, 81% provided inadequate information, 59% maintained no customer records and 33% failed to display guidance,” he said.

“Another factor that has emerged is that the mean cancer risk for all machines is now comparable to that from Mediterranean sun, whereas in the previous study this only applied to stand-up booths,” he said.

This increase in carcinogenic potential is directly related to the widespread use of high-power sunlamps, both in stand-up booths and lie-down sunbeds.

“Also, for the first time, we identified premises with unmanned sunbeds. These have no supervision and anyone, including children, may use the facilities,” he added.

“Product standards are intended to protect the public but, clearly, sunbed manufacturers are ignoring the standard and there is no effective control on the suppliers or operators.”