“We Trust The Rules, So Let Us Choose” - New Poll Reveals User Confidence in Sunbed Industry
New YouGov polling reveals strong confidence in existing regulations among sunbed users and a clear belief from the wider public that responsible tanning should remain a personal choice for adults.
A major new independent poll commissioned by The Sunbed Association (TSA), and carried out by leading polling company YouGov, has highlighted the high level of confidence that the UK’s 6 million sunbed users have in the regulations that allow them to tan safely.
The poll also found that the wider public overwhelmingly see the use of sunbeds as a personal choice that adults should be allowed to make.
Gary Lipman, Chairman of The Sunbed Association, said: “There is a lot of misinformation around the debate about tanning, so we decided we would ask the public what they thought. The results are fascinating. Almost 3 out of 4 UK adults (73%) agree that sunbed use should be a personal choice as long as regulations are followed. That is a hugely powerful message and one that policymakers must heed.”
Robust regulations to protect users are already in place. Professional tanning salons in the UK must follow detailed rules covering age restrictions, maximum UV output, customer screening and session controls. TSA members, who sign up to a robust code of practice, go beyond legal requirements with staff training and client education.
Milly Baker who owns a tanning salon in Ashby de la Zouch said: “My customers trust us because they see the care we take every day - from skin assessments to session timing and hygiene. They often tell me they feel safer here than lying out in the sun. People want to tan responsibly, and they know that in a regulated salon, they’re getting tailored advice, controlled exposure, and professional oversight. That’s not something they’d get on a beach.”
The poll also found that those most familiar with tanning salons have a much greater level of confidence in the robustness of existing regulations to keep them safe. A significant 72% of those who use tanning salons think that regulations currently protect users whereas only 31% of non-users believe that they do.
Gary Lipman said: “This is a real vote of confidence in the duty of care our members provide. The estimated six million adults who use tanning salons have seen at first hand the steps that local salons have put in place to protect them. That makes them over twice as likely to have confidence in the industry than those who have no contact with salons and instead base their opinions on misinformation and outdated views.”
The poll’s findings come amid renewed calls from some campaigners for tighter restrictions, a move that the industry believes would ignore the high level of confidence that users have in professional, regulated salons and a move that would also damage local high streets.
The Sunbed Association is calling for more recognition of the role responsible operators play in public education and harm reduction and warns against blunt measures that would drive millions of Britons to unregulated and more harmful alternatives.
"What we’re seeing is a strong consensus,” Lipman says. “People support regulation, and they want to make informed choices within that framework. Our member salons are on the front line of responsible tanning. We are part of the solution to unsafe UV exposure, not part of the problem.”
