Cancer society calls for sunbed ban

One third of sunbed users in Ireland had their first tanning session before the age of 19, it was revealed today.

Around 237,000 people living in Ireland have admitted to using sunbeds – 6% of people had their first tanning session before the age of 15 and 27% between the ages of 15 and 19.

Anita Murphy, Health Promotion Officer at the Irish Cancer Society (ICS), warned sunbeds should be banned across the country due to the risks associated with exposure to UV rays.

“These stark findings are of grave concern to us,” Ms Murphy said. “The popularity in sunless tanning seems to be increasing, probably as a result of increased availability and access across the country. A ‘sunless’ or sunbed tan is induced through concentrated exposure to high levels of UV light and all forms of UV light contribute to skin cancer.”

The research carried out by the society last April also showed 3% of users use sunbeds once per week, 5% use them twice per month and 8% about once a month.

Exposure to rays from sunbeds cause the loss of natural collagen in the skin and premature ageing, which results in loss of elasticity, sagging, wrinkling, freckling, yellowish discoloration and brown patches.

Ms Murphy urged: “The Irish Cancer Society would advocate that sunbeds should be banned. They are completely unsafe and represent significant danger to the consumer.”

The society called upon the Government to bring in legislation governing the operation of sunbeds to restrict access for youths aged under 18 and ban unsupervised tanning facilities.

The ICS, and the Environmental Health Officers Association (EHOA), said sunbed providers in the industry should institute a voluntary Code of Practice to ensure consumer safety.

Both groups urged people to follow the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines that no-one under the age of 18-years should use a sunbed.

The WHO also calls upon sunbed manufacturers to provide a schedule of recommended maximum exposure times, that a trained supervisor should be available and goggles should be worn at all times.

Mary Upton, a Labour Party TD, said the technical staff offering the sunbed services in beauty parlours and leisure centres should be fully trained and the facilities consistently audited.

“The issue is around statutory guidelines now. There are guidelines in place for x-rays, they leave no loopholes, the same should be done for the non-ionising radiation, such as sunbeds,” she said. “It is not as if we are not aware of the dangers and yet nothing is done.”

The Dublin South-Central TD said young people under the age of 18 should be banned from sunbeds.

“I have heard stories where children making their First Communion or Confirmation are brought for sunbed sessions. It is irresponsibility on the part of their parents and the proprietors that it is allowed to happen,” she added.

The society’s study showed that among the 7% of the population using sunbeds - 69% were using them in a beauty salon, 16% in a leisure centre and 8% have a sunbed at home.

However, the research found 15% of venues displayed no guidelines for sunbed use.

The latest statistics from the National Cancer Registry show there were 5,798 cases of skin cancer in Ireland in 2001 – with 463 cases of the most dangerous form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma. There were 5,335 cases of the more common and highly curable form of skin cancer, non-melanoma, in 2001.

Skin cancer claimed 102 lives in 2000 and caused 93 deaths in 2001.