Sunbed Adverts Must Not Downplay Cancer Risk, UK Ad Watchdog Warns Tanning Firms

The Committee for Advertising Practice, the body that writes the UK's advertising rules, has told tanning businesses across the country that they may not describe sunbeds as safe or sell them as a form of medicine. It is issuing a UK-wide enforcement notice, which it says is meant to send a clear message that advertisers must not downplay the risks of sunbed use.

The notice follows reporting earlier this year. The BBC identified hundreds of social media videos claiming that sunbeds could lift energy, treat skin conditions or help with mental health problems. The CAP says it has found a series of misleading health claims in sunbed advertising, among them suggestions that tanning beds can ease eczema, improve brain function, reduce inflammation and boost circulation. It warns that some of these claims are potentially harmful and could put customers off seeking proper medical treatment or advice.

The notice tells businesses not to make medical claims, not to promote sunbeds as a source of vitamin D, and not to suggest they are safe. James Burnett, the CAP's compliance executive, said sunbeds carry serious health risks, including a higher risk of skin cancer, and that ads should not downplay those risks or present sunbed use as a way to improve health.

The Advertising Standards Authority, which enforces the CAP code, has already acted on individual cases. Earlier this year it banned five adverts that claimed sunbeds could help manage conditions including osteoporosis and depression.

The medical position is not in dispute. Cancer charities and doctors link sunbeds to higher rates of melanoma and other skin cancers. The World Health Organization says that using a sunbed before the age of 35 raises the later risk of melanoma by 59%. Young people are the heaviest users: a 2025 YouGov survey found about one in seven 18-to-24-year-olds had used one in the past year, double the average across all age groups.

Rosie Vare, health information manager at Teenage Cancer Trust, welcomed the tougher enforcement. She noted that skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in young adults, and said young people should be properly informed about the risks. She recommended trusted, regulated sources such as the NHS or cancer charities.

Sunbed use remains legal and regulated in every part of the UK. There are limits on the strength of UV light the machines can emit, and under-18s are banned from using them. The Sunbed Association, which represents around half of the UK's tanning salons, says its members train staff to screen out high-risk customers with very fair skin, and that under its guidelines no one should be sold more than 60 sessions a year.

The association's chairman, Gary Lipman, said he fully supports action against misleading advertising and would never encourage members to use health claims. He said he has worked with the CAP to make sure the code does not stop members explaining how they comply with regulations, adding that there is a world of difference between claiming something is risk free and explaining that a business operates responsibly.

Advertisers have until 7 December 2026 to make sure their marketing claims comply. After that, the CAP says it will use an AI-based monitoring system to find ads that continue to break the rules, and will take further action where needed.