Commercial sunbeds should be banned in the UK, argue experts from the University of Manchester and Christie NHS Foundation Trust in The BMJ today. Using sunbeds causes melanoma and other skin cancers, particularly among young people, yet existing sunbed legislation is ineffective and there is little evidence that stricter rules would help protect the most vulnerable, say Professor Paul Lorigan and colleagues. And despite a ban on under 18s using sunbeds in England and Wales in 2011, a 2025 survey by Melanoma Focus of 100 UK 16-17 year olds found that 34% were still using sunbeds. Neither the number nor location of sunbed outlets in the UK are monitored, point out the authors. The distribution of sunbed outlets also correlates with melanoma rates in young people, with the highest rates in north England, they add.