You don't need a tan to get your vitamin D

It is dangerous to state that we should continue to pursue a tan ( Don't let the phoney melanoma scare keep you out of the sun , Response, 21 July). There is a huge difference between sunbathing to get a tan and making sure you get enough sun to allow your body to make the necessary amounts of vitamin D . Incidental amounts of sun exposure as you go about your daily business are enough for you to get your quota. The difficulty lies in being able to quantify how much sun is safe, as opposed to whether or not to get that UV exposure in the first place. We certainly would not urge anyone to risk a tan in the mistaken belief that they are achieving their daily vitamin D intake. According to the National Office of Statistics , annual deaths from malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, between 2006 and 2008 have remained at about 1,800. People are dying from this disease. To denounce the efforts of charities and organisations such as the British Skin Foundation to raise awareness of sun safety as fear-mongering is potentially damaging and could be seen as irresponsible. There is a reason why there is such a huge gulf between the mortality rate for malignant melanoma and the number of diagnoses made every year for the disease. We would like to think it is down to a combination of the work of charities, better public awareness of what to look for and the work of healthcare professionals across the UK. We cannot afford to give up on these awareness campaigns. In the last three years the BSF has awarded close to £700,000 in funds to skin cancer research because we recognise that this is a growing issue. Bevis Man British Skin Foundation