Skin cancer charity calls for sunscreen tax to be cut so British children are protected in summer
Skin cancer charity calls for sunscreen tax to be reduced so UK children are protected in summer
- Melanoma Focus found that two-thirds would wear more sunscreen if it were 20% cheaper
- Call for VAT reduction because people with the lowest incomes are less likely to wear sunscreen
According to a charity, VAT on sunscreen should be reduced to protect people against skin cancer.
Charity Melanoma Focus commissioned a study of 2,003 people who used sunscreen. Half thought it was too expensive and about two-thirds would wear more sunscreen if it were 20 percent cheaper.
About 10 percent of people said they don’t use sunscreen at all because of cost.
The survey found that 87 percent of people regularly slather their children with sunscreen in the summer, but of those who didn’t, 12 percent said it’s because it’s too expensive.
Melanoma Focus is calling on the government to abolish VAT on high-factor sunscreens, stating that people on the very lowest incomes are less likely to wear sunscreen than any other economic group.
According to charity Melanoma Focus, VAT on sunscreen should be reduced to protect people against skin cancer. (file image)
Susanna Daniels, CEO of Melanoma Focus, said: ‘Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK and the deadliest form of skin cancer.’ (file image of a woman with melanoma moles and freckles)
Susanna Daniels, chief executive of Melanoma Focus, said: ‘Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK and the deadliest form of skin cancer – 86 per cent of melanomas are preventable and so wearing a high SPF sunscreen is essential. a hugely important security measure to protect you against it.
“We know that people are experiencing increasing pressure on their finances right now, but with the rise in skin cancer cases, using sunscreen should be a high priority.
“The government could help make skin protection more accessible to everyone, regardless of income level, by doing away with VAT on high-factor sunscreens.”
People often avoid sunscreen for reasons such as wanting to get a tan, thinking they won’t burn or because they find the product too messy, the survey found.
Since the early 1990s, the number of melanoma cases in the UK has more than doubled, with the rising popularity of overseas holidays in warm countries believed to be part of the reason.
In women, the most common location for melanoma skin cancer is the legs, while in men it is most likely to occur on the central part of their body.
The call to make sunscreen cheaper was supported by Michelle Richardson, 49, from Petersfield, Hampshire, who has stage 4 melanoma, which has spread to areas such as her spine, lungs and brain, but is currently in remission.
She said, “Sunscreen shouldn’t be a luxury product.
The survey found that 87 percent of people regularly slather their children with sunscreen in the summer, but of those who didn’t, 12 percent said it’s because it’s too expensive. (file image)
“It is essential to protecting the health of the nation, so I fully support the proposed VAT reduction.”
A government spokesman said: ‘We recognize the impact of rising prices at home and so we are offering significant support worth an average of £3,300 per household.
“This includes keeping energy bills low, increasing benefits and providing instant cash payments.
‘High factor sunscreen is on the NHS prescription list for certain conditions and is already VAT-free when dispensed to these patients by a pharmacist.’