There is already a petition similar to this on the UK government website and I have set this one up to help back it up. Being a Melanoma patient I think that it is outrageous that the government are charging this levy on something that is essential to maintain healthy skin and avoid the risk of skin cancer. Any support would be greatly appreciated.
Melanoma incidence rates have quadrupled over the last 30 years. Currently in the UK every year more than 100,000 people are diagnosed with skin cancer and and over 2,500 lose their lives as a result. Under current UK tax law, British people pay a 20% tax charge on sunscreen because the government deem it to be a ‘luxury’ item rather than an essential health product. Many people are put off from buying sunscreen because of the high price and are putting their lives at risk by not using it. There is a huge cost burden to the NHS of skin cancer treatments and by cutting VAT on sunscreen this would reduce the burden. I am a stage 4 Malignant Melanoma patient myself with a terminal prognosis and think it is an outrage that the UK government is not doing nearly enough to help prevent the trend of ever increasing Skin Cancer incidence rates. Please sign this petition to help reduce the cost of sunscreen which will ultimately reduce the cases of skin cancer and save many lives.
