Latest figures show a steep rise in the number of cases of skin cancer in Scotland, with sunbed use blamed for contributing to the increase.
The Sunbed Association, which represents around 2,000 tanning facilities across the UK, said it welcomed initiatives that raised awareness about the importance of responsible tanning, but accused NHS Scotland and Nicola Sturgeon of issuing information that was "full of supposition and ignorance".
Gary Lipman, the Association's chairman, said he contested claims that sunbed use was dangerous. "If you can tan in the sun, you can tan on a sunbed and the sunbed gives you a controlled level of UV exposure, unlike the sun," he said in a statement.
Mr Lipman challenged the Scottish Government to substantiate the claims that sunbed use had contributed to Jacqui Carruthers' melanoma, saying that she herself had denied being a regular user of sunbeds.
The Public Health (Scotland) Act 2008 banned the use of sunbeds by under 18s. It also required operators to display notices warning of the health risks and to provide information to users of sunbeds on those risks.
The malignant melanoma figures were part of a wider audit of cancer cases. It shows that that the number of cancers diagnosed in Scotland has increased over the last 10 years from 26,169 cases in 2000 to 29,449 in 2010.
Among men, the most common cancers are prostate, lung and colorectal cancers, which together account for 52% of male cancers. For women, the most common cancers are breast, lung and colorectal cancers, accounting for 56% of cancer among females.
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