A UK advertising watchdog has launched a crackdown on misleading sunbed adverts, warning tanning firms they must not claim their beds are safe or can treat medical conditions, the BBC reported. The Committee of Advertising Practice said it was issuing a UK-wide enforcement notice to "send a clear message to the industry that advertisers must not downplay the risks associated with sunbed use." Earlier this year, the BBC identified hundreds of social media videos claiming the beds could boost energy or treat skin conditions or mental health problems. The Sunbed Association, which represents about half of the UK's tanning salons, said it fully supported action against misleading adverts, but that businesses must still be allowed to show they operate responsibly.
CAP, which writes the UK's advertising rules, said some claims were potentially harmful and could discourage customers from seeking appropriate medical treatment. "Sunbeds carry serious health risks, including an increased risk of skin cancer," said compliance executive James Burnett. "Ads shouldn't downplay those risks or present sunbed use as a way to improve health." Cancer charities and doctors say the machines are linked to higher rates of melanoma and other skin cancers. Using a sunbed before the age of 35 increases the risk of melanoma by 59% later in life, according to the World Health Organization. Young people are the biggest users in the UK: about one in seven 18-to-24-year-olds say they used a sunbed in the past year, double the average for all age groups, according to a 2025 YouGov survey.
Rosie Vare, health information manager at Teenage Cancer Trust, said skin cancer was one of the most common forms of the disease in young adults and welcomed stricter enforcement. "We want young people to be properly informed about the risk of sunbed use and we recommend using trusted, regulated sources to find out information such as the NHS or cancer charities," she said. CAP said it had identified misleading health claims, including suggestions that tanning beds can ease eczema, improve brain function, reduce inflammation, and boost circulation.
The enforcement notice is about advertising, not an immediate ban on sunbeds themselves. The verified points are the watchdog's warning, the WHO risk figure for young users, and the pattern of health claims already documented on social media. Firms that can show responsible operation may still advertise, the trade body argues, but they may not present tanning beds as treatment.