Advertising Watchdog Targets Sunbed Firms Over Health Claims
Sunbed businesses across the UK have been told not to claim their machines are safe or can treat medical conditions. The advertising watchdog CAP has issued a UK-wide enforcement notice.
What the notice says
The Committee for Advertising Practice (CAP) writes the UK's advertising rules. It said it wanted to send a clear message that advertisers must not downplay sunbed risks. Its compliance executive, James Burnett, put it plainly: "Ads shouldn't downplay those risks or present sunbed use as a way to improve health."
Three things are off limits under the notice: medical claims, vitamin D as a selling point, and any hint that sunbeds are safe. CAP said it had found adverts suggesting tanning beds help with eczema, sharpen the brain, calm inflammation or improve circulation. It said some were potentially harmful because they could stop customers seeking proper medical advice.
Earlier this year the BBC found hundreds of social media videos saying beds could lift energy levels or ease skin and mental health problems. The Advertising Standards Authority, which enforces the CAP code, also banned five adverts that presented sunbeds as help for conditions such as osteoporosis and depression.
The risk behind the rules
Doctors and cancer charities tie sunbed use to more cases of melanoma and other skin cancers. The World Health Organization says using a bed before the age of 35 raises the later risk of melanoma by 59%.
Young people are the main users. A 2025 YouGov survey found that about one in seven people aged 18 to 24 had tanned on a bed in the past year. Across all age groups the rate is half that. Rosie Vare of Teenage Cancer Trust, who welcomed stricter enforcement, said skin cancer is among the cancers young adults get most often.
Deadline and the industry response
Advertisers have until 7 December 2026 to make sure their marketing complies. CAP said it will use an AI-based monitoring system to find ads that keep breaking the rules, and will take further action where needed.
The Sunbed Association represents around half of the UK's tanning salons. It said it fully supports action against misleading adverts. Its chairman, Gary Lipman, said he had worked with CAP so the code would not stop members explaining how they comply with the rules.
Sunbed use remains legal in all parts of the UK. The beds have limits on the strength of UV light, and under-18s are banned from using them. The Sunbed Association says its members train staff to screen out customers at high risk, including people with very fair skin. Its guidelines say nobody should buy more than 60 sessions in a year.
Source: BBC News