‘Bizarre anomaly on sunbeds’ must be tackled

A “bizarre anomaly” that places sunbed sessions in the same goods and services tax category as yoga studios and beauty salons must be addressed says the Irish Cancer Society.

The current Vat rate on sunbed sessions is at the reduced rate of 13.5% and according to Revenue they are considered “care of the human body” — despite being ranked in the highest cancer risk category, alongside tobacco and plutonium by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

The Irish Cancer Society wants the Government to raise the Vat rate on sunbed sessions to the standard Vat rate of 23% as an initial step to stop young people using them.

The society has found that while sunbed use is slowly decreasing, more young people are using them with “alarming regularity”. It wants the minister for finance, Paschal Donohoe, to increase Vat on sunbeds to 23% in Budget 2018.

“It’s time for Government to address the bizarre anomaly which currently sees Vat levied at a reduced rate on sunbed sessions, while Vat on sunscreen is charged at 23%, said Donal Buggy, the society’s head of advocacy and services.

The survey shows that overall sunbed use has decreased slowly from 9% of the Irish population in 2003 to 4% this year.

Of concern, however, is that 46,000 more people aged between 15 to 34 are using sunbeds than in the society’s 2010 survey. This is despite the fact that nine out of 10 people in this age group are aware of the cancer risk.

The latest survey shows that 17% of individuals aged between 15 to 34 have used a sunbed in the past year, compared to 3% of those aged 35 to 54.

In the society’s 2010 survey, 9% of those aged 15 to 34 had used a sunbed, compared to 7% of those aged between 35 and 64.

Young people are most at risk from sunbeds. There is a 75% increased risk of developing the most serious form of skin cancer when people begin tanning regularly before the age of 35.

“People in Ireland are using sunbeds with alarming regularity with 24% of sunbed users tanning once a week and 51% using them at least every two months,” said Mr Buggy.

The latest survey shows that the age of first use is getting younger — 85% had their first sunbed session before the age of 24, compared to 63% in the society’s 2010 survey.

Mr Buggy said increasing the Vat rate on sunbed sessions was just a “stepping stone”. “In the long term we would like to see further exploration of a ban, or partial ban, on sunbeds, as Brazil and Australia have done.”

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in Ireland and is the most preventable. There were 181 deaths from skin cancer last year. Around 1,000 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year and about 1,000 will have melanoma, the most dangerous form of cancer.

“Given our rising skin cancer rates and our fair-skinned population, the Government should be considering a ban on commercial sunbed use,” said Mr Buggy.

In 2014 the Government imposed an underage ban on sunbed use. However, a recent study showed it was having no impact on sunbed use by teenagers.