Many people will have fond memories of Freshers week, but students could be remembering it way into the future, long after the student loan has been spent and the cap and gown has been put away.   A sunbed company attended the Freshers Fair at UCLAN Preston making various offers to entice students into tanning.  Offering free tanning sessions, lotions and money off vouchers. 

Use of sunbeds before the age of 35 dramatically increases the risk of melanoma, a disease that kills seven people every day in the UK.

Following an email exchange between the Students’ Union at UCLAN and a stage 3 melanoma patient, the University reached the conclusion that sunbed companies will  be on the list of exclusions in future.  Excluded categories include tobacco companies and any organisation promoting violence, hate, drugs, discrimination etc).

Gill Nuttall, CEO of Melanoma UK said, “We have seen a number of sunbed companies over the last few years who have tried to target students during Freshers week.  The World Health Organisation says that skin cancer is the greatest health risk posed by exposure to UVR; a clear causal relationship has been established.  Pushing free sunbed sessions on University students is one of the most worrying things I have heard in a long time.  We applaud UCLAN for doing the right thing.  Students are at university to get their education and enjoy their time there, not give themselves the chance of a potentially fatal disease”.

Sign the petition for a ban on sunbeds Petition