Sunbeds are dangerous and need tightly controlled

The deadliest form of skin cancer has become the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in their 20s for the first time. Experts said a ‘binge-tanning’ epidemic had propelled malignant melanoma above cervical cancer.

Almost every day, one woman aged between 20 and 29 is diagnosed with skin cancer somewhere in these islands. In this age group there are now twice as many cases of melanoma as there are breast cancer.

There is a consultation on at the moment about the regulation of sunbeds in Northern Ireland. Whilst many of its provisions such as a ban on under 18s using these machines are welcome, it does not go far enough and could lead to an underground sunbed industry targeting minors.

The demand for an instant tan has also led to the marketing of super-powerful sunbeds, with four in five breaking safety standards.

The extra-strong sun lamps emit between two and three times as much harmful UV light as those used just ten years ago – raising the risk of skin cancer by the same amount, research shows. There has also been a major increase in the number of under 40’s getting skin cancers and this is worrying because the chances of dying from cancer goes up by 75% if you have contracted a skin cancer in your youth. There is evidence that children as young as 11 are using sunbeds in a quest to gain a tan like that of their favourite celebrities.

Rates of skin cancer have more than tripled in the last decade, with over 230 people in Northern Ireland diagnosed each year.

Sunbeds are now responsible for cancer deaths in this region with studies showing that using sunbeds as a teenager dramatically increases the risk of skin cancer.

UV radiation has now been categorised as a class one carcinogenic just like tobacco or asbestos. Sunbeds are UVR emitters, exposing Irish people to similar levels of radiation to the height of a summer’s day in the Mediterranean. We are not sallow skinned in this part of the world. The overwhelming majority of us are skin type 1 or 2. That’s why we freckle and get moles. People from the south of Spain are type 3 or 4. The bottom line is that our skin just cannot cope with this level of radiation without damaging itself.  This is why they are so dangerous and need tight regulation.

The North has shown leadership on sunbed regulation. All our local authorities have banned sunbeds from their facilities and the department is now proposing to licence the tanning salon business and ban use by under 18s.

The regulations, however, do not however extend to the private sale of sunbeds. This will create a major gap in the law allowing anyone to buy a sunbed and have ot in their home without having to take out a licence or be trained in any way. It could also lead to an underground industry targeting minors who will now be banned from shops and salons with sunbeds.

The SDLP will be arguing for strong regulation of the sunbed industry and we will also be calling for the licensing of all private sales. This is essential if we are to prevent the industry going underground.