Sunbeds & UV radiation
GreenFacts was contracted to prepare this summary by the DG Health and Consumers of the European Commission, which authorised its publication. See this publication on europa.eu.
Text copyright© DG Health and Consumers of the European Commission.
Text copyright© DG Health and Consumers of the European Commission.
Sunbeds Links
- Factual links
Some of the websites providing factual information on Sunbeds:
- Other Views
1. Factual links
1.1 Institutions addressing sunbeds
- The Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) of the European Commission adopted an “opinion on biological effects of ultraviolet radiation relevant to health with particular reference to sunbeds for cosmetic purposes” on 20 June 2006:
http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_risk/committees/04_sccp/docs/sccp_o_031b.pdf
- The WHO page on ultraviolet radiation proposes a series of fact sheets, publications, and related sites on this topic:
www.who.int/topics/ultraviolet_radiation/en/

See for instance WebPages more specifically addressing sunbeds: -
- “Artificial tanning sunbeds”: www.who.int/uv/intersunprogramme/activities/uvartsunbeds/en/

- “Sunbeds, tanning and UV exposure”: www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs287/en/index.html

- “Artificial tanning sunbeds”: www.who.int/uv/intersunprogramme/activities/uvartsunbeds/en/
- The Bureau of Consumer Protection of the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) publishes a fact sheet for consumers on indoor tanning:
www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/health/indootan.pdf
- Health Canada provides general information on ultraviolet radiation, sun safety, and what you can do to protect yourself as well as information on safety guidelines and regulations related to tanning equipment:
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/radiation/ultraviolet
- The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reviewed the literature on the health effects of exposure to artificial UV radiation through the use of indoor tanning facilities and announces it through a press release entitled “Sunbed use in youth unequivocally associated with skin cancer”:
www.iarc.fr/ENG/Press_Releases/pr171a.html
1.2 Q&As about artificial tanning
- The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposes a Q&A on tanning:
www.fda.gov/cdrh/tanning/
- Thesite.org includes a series of Q&As on sunbeds:
www.thesite.org/healthandwellbeing/appearance/yourbody/sunbeds
1.3 Other websites for the non-specialist on sunbeds
- The Cancer Research UK warns readers about the increased risk of skin cancer due to sunbed use:
http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/healthyliving/sunsmart/staysafe/sunbeds/
2. Other Views
Links in this section have been selected as examples of other views on Sunbeds & UV radiation. This list of links is only a sample and it is not suggested that it is complete nor that it is fully representative of all the existing views. GreenFacts asbl takes no position concerning the views expressed in these linked documents.
Several sunbed industrial associations emphasize the health benefits of using a sunbed while minimizing the risks:
- The Sunbed Association:
www.sunbedassociation.org.uk/faqs.htm
- The Indoor Tanning Association:
www.theita.com/indoor/faq.cfm
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