Ban puts sunbeds beyond pale for U18s
The new law, which will come into force by the end of next month, will ban the use of sunbeds — in a tanning salon — by persons under 18 years of age.
It will also be against the law to sell or hire a sunbed to anyone under 18 and the new law forces sunbed operators to make clear all the dangers of sunbed use.
Skin cancer is the fastest growing cancer in Ireland at the moment with more than 10,000 new cases every year.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has found that the risk of cutaneous melanoma is increased by 75% when the use of tanning beds starts before the age of 30. It subsequently raised the classification of the use of UV tanning devices to Group 1 – ‘carcinogenic to humans’.
Speaking at the announcement of the new law coming into force, Health Minister Dr James Reilly said young people were literally risking their lives by ignoring the dangers of over exposure to sunlight or tanning radiation.
“What young people must realise is that they are putting their health at serious risk by using sunbeds. I would ask all sunbed users to consider the pain and scarring and even possible death that can result from skin cancer and to ask themselves: ‘Is it worth it’? Is having a ‘healthy’ tan really worth risking my life?” he said.
The new law will be enforced by the environmental health officers of the HSE.
Its principal environmental health officer Maurice Mulcahy said the HSE would be writing to sunbed business operators over the next few weeks to advise them of the new legal provisions and what they will need to do to comply with the law.
A dedicated web page will provide information about the new laws as they come on stream over the coming months, and also provide details of how the public may lodge a complaint with the HSE Environment Health Service in relation to children under 18 being permitted to use sunbeds.
Consultant in public health medicine with the HSE, Dr Marie Laffoy welcomed the new law pointing out that skin cancer was now the most common cancer diagnosed in Ireland.
“Currently over 8,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, almost double the number of cases compared to 20 years ago. Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. Taking simple precautions can help to prevent skin cancer and the most important thing is not to get sun burnt and not to use sunbeds,” she said.
Irish Cancer Society helpline 1800 200 700
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