The NHS has spoken out about ‘false’ Vitamin D claims - and said people following the bogus advice could be causing themselves harm. The health service took to X in the wake of reports that young people are beingtargeted by advertising telling them that sunbeds have great health benefits.

The BBC said it has identified hundreds of adverts on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook saying sunbeds can boost energy and treat skin conditions or mental health problems. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned six tanning adverts for making irresponsible health claims or suggesting sunbeds were safe.

Cancer charities and doctors areclear about the risks of using sunbeds - and say the machines are linked to higher rates of melanoma and other skin cancers. Using a bed before the age of 35 increases the risk of melanoma by 59% later in life, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

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One video, liked 18,000 times on TikTok, claimed - wrongly - that “doctors prescribe sunbeds” for issues including “vitamin D deficiency, seasonal depression and skin disorders”. Those claims are all strongly disputed by health experts.

Now the NHS has said: “Sunbeds give off ultraviolet (UV) radiation, just like the sun does. Too much of this causes skin cancer. And sunbeds should never be used to “get a few minutes of vitamin D” either. Remember; there’s no such thing as safe UV tanning.”

Vitamin D is made in the body by exposure to the sun or by eating certain foods. While some sunbeds may technically emit UVB rays, which the body can convert into vitamin D, the WHO says they are not an efficient way to make the nutrient. The NHS says it is safer to just eat a healthy diet or take supplements.

Unsupervised sunbed use byyoung people is to be banned as part of National Cancer Plan Consultation to launch in spring 2026, new rules could come into force as soon as 2027.

New proposals under the soon-to-be launched National Cancer Plan will strengthen requirements around commercial sunbed use, including banning unsupervised sessions and introducing mandatory ID checks to verify users are over 18.

The government said recentinvestigations have shown that teenagers as young as 14are gaining access to tanning salons, routinely flouting the existing ban on under 18s using sunbeds. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classed sunbeds to be as dangerous as smoking. Using a sunbed before the age of 20 increases the risk of melanoma skin cancer by 47% compared to those who have never used one, according to WHO.

Health Minister Karin Smyth said: “Stronger protections on sunbeds are needed so people understand risks that could have deadly consequences. The evidence is clear: there is no safe level of sunbed use, yet too many young people are being exposed to a known carcinogen with little understanding of the risks.

“These proposals will crack down on rogue operators and ensure the law is properly enforced. Prevention saves lives, and we will do everything we can to protect people from avoidable cancers.”

The Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 bans under 18s from using commercial sunbeds and requires businesses to prevent children from using them. Despite this, the government said there is evidence that rogue operators are continuing to sell these services to teenagers.

In 2023, there were almost a quarter of a million new skin cancer diagnoses in the UK, costing the NHS an estimated £750 million annually. Polling from Melanoma Focus shows that only 62% of adults know that sunbed use increases cancer risk, and nearly a quarter of 18 to 25 year olds wrongly believe sunbeds actually reduce their risk of cancer.

Professor Meghana Pandit, National Medical Director at NHS England, said: “A sunbed tan might only last a few weeks, but the damage can last a lifetime. Sunbeds blast your skin with high levels of UV radiation raising the risk of melanoma and other skin cancers, particularly for young people. These proposals, as part of the National Cancer Plan, will help close dangerous loopholes, crack down on illegal sunbed use and keep people safe.”

Natasha Gowan, who has skin cancer, said: “In my 20s, having a tan felt important, and I didn’t understand the dangers of sunbeds. I used them frequently for around two years, thinking nothing of it. Twenty years later, a mole I’d had forever started to change, it turned out to be melanoma that had already spread to my lymph nodes and I was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer.

“I needed multiple operations, underwent a year of immunotherapy and now live with the constant fear of it returning or spreading. No tan is worth the physical and emotional toll this has taken on my life.”