In the UK, a country known for its bad weather and lack of sunshine,
there appears to be an ever increasing number of very tanned young
people.
So just how are they achieving their golden
tans? Some are opting for the sun-free option and are getting their tan
from a bottle. However, it appears that others are turning to tanning
salons, of which there are thousands in the UK.
So why do the British prefer to be bronzed?
Often, they are trying to emulate their favourite
celebrities, footballers, or footballers' wives. Research from the
British Sunbed Association suggests that many people believe a
tan makes them feel and look healthier.
This is a belief that is most definitely not
shared by Cancer Research UK. They firmly state that being tanned is
not a sign of health. In fact, they are strongly against young people
using sunbeds. On their website, they state that people who use sunbeds
before the age of 35 have a higher risk of melanoma.
The dangers of tanning did not appear to concern
ten-year-old Kelly Thompson who hit headlines in
April after receiving severe burns from spending 16 minutes on a
sunbed. Kelly's mother was horrified
that her daughter had been allowed to use the sunbeds and that the
tanning salon was unmanned. She noted that:
"There was no one to give advice on using these potentially dangerous
machines."
Whether the British government has been taking
heed of such recent tanning tragedies is not
clear. What is clear however is that self-regulation
in the sunbed industry looks unlikely to continue. Just after Kelly's
story was reported in the news, the government issued a statement
advising that people under 18 should not use sunbeds and that all
salons should be supervised by trained
staff.
Notes:
- sunbeds - кабины солярия;
пляжные лежаки
- tanning salons - салоны,
предлагающие услуги солярия
- to emulate - подражать
- the British Sunbed Association - Британской
ассоциации соляриев
- melanoma - меланомы (одной
из самых опасных разновидностей рака кожи)
- hit headlines - попала в
заголовки газет/широко обсуждалась в СМИ
- was horrified - пришла
в ужас
- the tanning salon was unmanned
- в солярии (во время сеанса) не было ни одного из его
сотрудников
- has been taking
heed of - обращает внимание на
- self-regulation - саморегулирование
- should be supervised
- должны быть под присмотром/контролем
Источник: http://www.bbc.co.uk |