Extracts below. Full text here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62grkyjxwgo
==
Harmful misinformation claiming sunbeds offer health benefits in winter is being spread by tanning companies on social media, the BBC has found.
We have identified hundreds of adverts on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook saying sunbeds can boost energy and treat skin conditions or mental health problems.
One suggested that going on a sunbed for "eight minutes" could prevent colds and flu, while another claimed that UV rays could "stimulate the thyroid gland" to help someone lose weight...
"The amount of misinformation on social media is genuinely terrifying," says Dr Amy Perkins, an NHS dermatologist from Stirling who has complained to the advertising watchdog about some of the online material.
"And it's so important because the numbers being diagnosed with skin cancer are rising year-on-year, with a staggering impact on our health services."
About 23% of 18-25-year-olds wrongly believe sunbed use actually decreases the risk of skin cancer, a survey by the charity Melanoma Focus suggests.
Yet the WHO has put tanning beds in the highest cancer-risk category alongside smoking, asbestos and alcohol.
Almost nine out of 10 melanoma cases in the UK can be prevented by staying safe in the sun and avoiding sunbeds, according to Cancer Research UK...
==
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org