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Minister and star support tan ban | Minister and star support tan ban |
(about 8 hours later) | |
A Welsh MP's bid to ban sunbed use by under-18s in tanning salons is being backed by the government and a star of one of the UK's biggest pop bands. | A Welsh MP's bid to ban sunbed use by under-18s in tanning salons is being backed by the government and a star of one of the UK's biggest pop bands. |
Cardiff North MP Julie Morgan's private member's bill is also supported by Nicola Roberts of Girls Aloud, who spoke at the bill's launch later. | |
Health Secretary Andy Burnham said the scientific evidence of harm to skin and the link to skin cancer was clear. | Health Secretary Andy Burnham said the scientific evidence of harm to skin and the link to skin cancer was clear. |
Ms Morgan hopes the bill can become law before the next general election. | Ms Morgan hopes the bill can become law before the next general election. |
A Cancer Research UK report, commissioned by the government, found 6% of children aged 11 to 17 had used a sunbed, with the figure rising to 11% in the north of England. | A Cancer Research UK report, commissioned by the government, found 6% of children aged 11 to 17 had used a sunbed, with the figure rising to 11% in the north of England. |
Singer Roberts, 24, is making a documentary about the dangers of the tanning industry. | Singer Roberts, 24, is making a documentary about the dangers of the tanning industry. |
She said unless politicians went to the streets in working class areas and they wouldn't understand the "unbelievable pressure" on young girls and women about how they looked. | |
The singer said a recent trip to her home city of Liverpool left her shocked after she realised how many young girls were using sunbeds. | |
She said: "Going into the streets of Liverpool and interviewing the young girls who are obsessed with having a tan and feeling like they had to be brown to be seen as attractive, that whole mentality that they had gathered was just a bigger problem than I ever thought it was." | |
She said she had "learned to love" her pale skin after years of using fake tan to match her more tanned bandmates. | She said she had "learned to love" her pale skin after years of using fake tan to match her more tanned bandmates. |
Ms Morgan said she was delighted to have Mr Burnham's support for the bill, which would affect Wales and England. | Ms Morgan said she was delighted to have Mr Burnham's support for the bill, which would affect Wales and England. |
When I was younger I just wanted to look tanned and to fit in with everyone and didn't give any thought to the risks I was taking Gemma Merna, Hollyoaks actress | When I was younger I just wanted to look tanned and to fit in with everyone and didn't give any thought to the risks I was taking Gemma Merna, Hollyoaks actress |
Scotland banned the use of sunbeds by under-18s in December. | Scotland banned the use of sunbeds by under-18s in December. |
"It's a bill that's urgently needed. If you get backing from the secretary of state there's that much more chance we'll get it through. | "It's a bill that's urgently needed. If you get backing from the secretary of state there's that much more chance we'll get it through. |
"It's absolutely great," she said. | "It's absolutely great," she said. |
Ms Morgan also wants to see the use of sunbeds for adults supervised. At present it is not illegal to operate unattended salons. | Ms Morgan also wants to see the use of sunbeds for adults supervised. At present it is not illegal to operate unattended salons. |
Change of heart | Change of heart |
She said the campaign had cross-party as well as public support. | She said the campaign had cross-party as well as public support. |
However, she admitted: "It will still be tough for a private member's bill to get through." | However, she admitted: "It will still be tough for a private member's bill to get through." |
The bill is being launched by Ms Morgan and Cancer Research UK and will have its second reading on 29 January. | The bill is being launched by Ms Morgan and Cancer Research UK and will have its second reading on 29 January. |
Hollyoaks actress Gemma Merna, a former teenage sunbed user herself, has had a change of heart on artificial tanning and is supporting the bill. | Hollyoaks actress Gemma Merna, a former teenage sunbed user herself, has had a change of heart on artificial tanning and is supporting the bill. |
The 25-year-old, who plays Carmel Valentine in the Channel 4 soap, said: "I started to use sunbeds once or twice a week with my friends when I was 15 but never realised the risks that I was putting my skin through just to get the perfect tan. | The 25-year-old, who plays Carmel Valentine in the Channel 4 soap, said: "I started to use sunbeds once or twice a week with my friends when I was 15 but never realised the risks that I was putting my skin through just to get the perfect tan. |
"When I was younger I just wanted to look tanned and to fit in with everyone and didn't give any thought to the risks I was taking. | "When I was younger I just wanted to look tanned and to fit in with everyone and didn't give any thought to the risks I was taking. |
"I now realise the damage that sunbeds can do and support any move to ban them to under-18s." | "I now realise the damage that sunbeds can do and support any move to ban them to under-18s." |
Nicola Roberts, Julie Morgan MP, Health Secretary Andy Burnham MP and Sian James MP at the launch at Westminster |
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