Last Friday (16th August 2024), the kind people at The Guardian published my case for the UK Government to axe VAT on sunscreen products. 

Here's an excerpt from the article:

'If the government taxes sunscreen as a cosmetic product, consumers will use it as such. That’s one reason why Australia and the US have already made sunscreen exempt from VAT-equivalent taxes. By not following suit, the UK government is sending a dangerous message about the importance of sun safety to our public health.

...

The case for axing VAT isn’t just about the cost to individuals. Where the state is concerned, there’s an intersecting economic and healthcare argument for making sunscreen more accessible. Skin cancer is now the most common form of cancer in the UK, and the NHS spends about £500m every year to tackle it.

Soaring incidents of skin cancer mean greater NHS spending. There could be more than 262,000 new cases of non-melanoma skin cancer and 26,500 new cases of melanoma every year in the UK by 2038-40. That’s an increase from about 225,000 cases and 20,800 cases respectively today. The status quo is unsustainable.'

You can read the piece in full here.

Since the article went live, the reaction has been wonderfully encouraging. I'm grateful to the 1000+ people who signed this petition after reading it, as well as the hundreds who shared it via social media, Whatsapp and word-of-mouth.

I also want to give a special mention to those who tapped the 'chip in' button and donated funds help to spread the campaign's message. You're all my personal heroes. Thank you SO much.

I spent this morning in positive meetings with cancer and wider health sector stakeholders. Tomorrow, the meetings will continue. Hopefully I'll be in a position to shed some secrecy and share more exciting updates soon...

Yours ever,

Jessica ZW

Campaigner, #AXEtheSPFtax