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Should there be a tax on tanning salons?
posted at 3/10/2012 9:40 AM BST
on bmj.com
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*Moderator*
Posts: 1449
First: 7/4/2011 Last: 23/5/2013 |
The BMJ has a few articles in the upcoming issue (6th October 2012) on the dangers of indoor tanning. One study found that 3,438 (5.4%) new cases of melanoma diagnosed each year in Western Europe are related to sunbed use, particularly among young adults. http://www.bmj.com/content/345/bmj.e5909 And in a new systematic review and meta analysis from the US reports that indoor tanning was associated with a 67% higher risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma and a 29% higher risk of developing basal cell carcinoma, compared with never using it. Finally, in a Personal View, Simon Nicholas Williams says that there needs to be more evidence-based warnings about sunbeds and information about the risks. He calls for the EU to follow the example of the US who have introduced a tan tax on indoor tanning services. He estimates that, in the UK, a 10% excise duty on indoor tanning could raise revenues of between £95m and £113m over a decade. http://www.bmj.com/content/345/bmj.e6550
Now, I don’t know about where you live but the UK is full of people with fake tans and the owners of these fake tans probably get them from either tanning beds or applying tan lotion. I am assuming that spray on lotions are safer than the rays of a sunbed. Would a tax or more information on the dangers really deter people? |
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Re: Should there be a tax on tanning salons?
posted at 3/10/2012 9:58 AM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 1181
First: 19/4/2010 Last: 23/5/2013 |
I don't think the tax would deter anyone, but VAT is applied to non-essential items, and a fake tan surely must be a non-essential item. This month VAT is being applied to sports nutrition drinks, gels and bars. I have no issue with this - they are clearly a non-essential item, so it's in line with the overall policy. If I want to avoid paying the VAT, I should buy milk, and some seeds. So VAT on sunbeds? Yes - non-essential. Go outside.
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Re: Should there be a tax on tanning salons?
posted at 3/10/2012 1:54 PM BST
on bmj.com
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*Moderator*
Posts: 1449
First: 7/4/2011 Last: 23/5/2013 |
There is a cracking blog about the wranglings between the tanning industry and their assault on doctors in the US. They claim that the doctors are in the thrall of and on the payroll of the sunscreen companies. The blog below describes a funny video the tanning industry shows its employees to combat crtitics. It features God questioning a doctor who warned people against the damaging effects of sunlight on skin. God -who invented light- sees this as blasphemous and consigns the doctor to hell (where he certainly will be needing his bottle of sunscreen!) http://ethicalnag.org/2012/09/22/tanning-industry-fights-back/ This example is perhaps a distraction to the issue described in the research above but it points to how serious tanning companies are taking this criticism of their industry. The US introduced a tax on indoor tanning to deter customers using tanning salons but it seems that this has little effect on trade. |
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Re: Should there be a tax on tanning salons?
posted at 4/10/2012 3:50 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 61
First: 24/10/2011 Last: 21/5/2013 |
There is a tax on tobacco because it causes cancer. It has done little to stop people smoking, but it brings in a lot of revenue for HMG (although not enough to balance the cost of smoking related diseases). The tax on cigarettes is about 400% (a little bit more than 20% VAT). Maybe taxes at that sort of level would be a deterrent. |
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Re: Should there be a tax on tanning salons?
posted at 30/11/2012 9:59 AM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 2
First: 30/11/2012 Last: 30/11/2012 |
caisses enregistreuses As a result, many salon goers and owners are outraged by the so-called "tanning tax" and think they're being unfairly targeted by the bill."It's terrible," said Jan Meshon, owner of City Sun Tanning in New York City. Caisses enregistreuses says "You know how they say that passing a bill is a bit like making sausage? Well this was the weirdest, ugliest piece of sausage to get stuffed into the bill."City Sun Tanning customers are shocked and disappointed by the tax as well, and Meshon said he expects the tax to hurt business. |
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Re: Should there be a tax on tanning salons?
posted at 30/11/2012 12:59 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 322
First: 12/11/2010 Last: 20/5/2013 |
There is surely the issue of freedom of choice. It would perhaps be more appropriate to require tanning salons to have large posters depicting melanomas and the aftermath of treatment [big skin-grafted holes, nobbly livers, coffins etc], and then consumers can make their choice. The Nanny state is building up to the point where biros will soon be banned because of the pointy bit on one end and the possibility that you might use them to write something someone might not like. If people understand the risks they are taking, they should be free to take those risks. So, a tax can be justified to cover the excess treatment costs of melanoma to the NHS, but banning is unfair on those who believe they need a tan. |
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Re: Should there be a tax on tanning salons?
posted at 30/11/2012 3:54 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 2059
First: 12/3/2010 Last: 23/5/2013 |
Tim, I'd compare this with smoking - similar, life-long risks directly related to exposure. We don't ban smoking, we tax it. Currently £5.83/packet of 20 according to the manufacturers' website: http://www.the-tma.org.uk/tma-publications-research/facts-figures/uk-cigarette-prices/ That tax represents a 335% markup on the basic price, if the whole cost is £7.47. I find that tanning sessions cost about 50p/minute, so at 30 minutes(?) that's £15. If the same rate of tax were applied, then such a session would cost £53. And a jolly good thing too, I say! To both! John |
