In a recent request to the European Parliament, Yorkshire and Humber Labour MEP Linda McAvan has called for a ban on advertisements pertaining to cosmetic breast implant surgery.

The plea comes in the wake of a forthcoming vote on ‘The Resolution On Defective Silicone Breast Implants’ report which responded to the breast implant scandal with an observation of the French company PIP.

With estimates having already revealed that nearly 40,000 British women were given the PIP-manufactured faulty implants – which were made using industrial grade silicone -, McAvan drew attention to the fact that a ban on advertising cosmetic surgery is currently in place in Belgium and France; and that the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons supports such a ban.

Against the backdrop of the approximation that almost 300,000 implants were sold across the world, McAvan said that the breast implant scandal has highlighted a “common thread” --- that is, the fact that cosmetic surgery is presented is a very ‘casual’ manner.

Reiterating a need for a ban on cosmetic surgery ads, McAvan said: "Anyone who has flicked through the back of a women's magazine will know the prevalence of advertising for cosmetic surgery. There is very little attempt to explain the extent of various procedures.”