Sun sets on commercial tanning beds

Implementation of legislation banning commercial solariums comes into effect in NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria as of 1st January 2015.

Highlighting that artificial UV tanning units increase skin cancer risks and that 43 Australians die each year from skin cancer associated with solarium use, Cancer Council Australia's public health committee chairman Craig Sinclair said health groups were counting down the days to the ban.

Sinclair stated "it's been estimated that up to 280 malignant melanomas a year are attributable to sunbed use and one in every six melanomas in young people are from sunbed use.

"So there is no question that there is a direct link between regular use of sunbeds and malignant melanoma."

While hundreds of businesses in Victoria and New South Wales have taken up the Government buyback scheme, disposing of the appliances in exchange for up to $2,000, other operators, dissatisfied with what they describe as less-than-market value, are trying to offload their solariums online to private buyers.

Trade website Gumtree has dozens of the machines listed for sale between $1,500 and $8,000.

Sinclair said the Cancer Council would monitor any influx into the private environment and believed it was unlikely many will be bought domestically because of their sheer size and enormous power consumption.

Sinclair added “it certainly is a concern, clearly (the operators) had financial incentives to dispose of their machines properly and safely.

"To then try and offload them in the private market at a price that is probably not too much more than they would otherwise get through government assistance is a concern, because once these machines get into the private market it's obviously putting individuals at risk."

Recent data from the Cancer Council’s National Sun Protection Survey shows that the majority of adults in NSW (76%) support the impending ban on solariums, with less than 1% of NSW adults having used a solarium in the past 12 months.

Studies have shown that those who use a solarium before the age of 35 have a 59% greater risk of melanoma than those who do not. With skin cancer being the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, the rollout of this ban can be seen as a positive step in helping to reduce the skin cancer risk of the NSW population.

In Queensland, acting Minister for Health Mark McArdle explained that the State Government legislated the ban following concerns about the link between solarium use and skin cancer.

acting Minister McArdle stated “Queensland already has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world and there is no question there’s a direct link between regular sunbed use and the incidence of malignant melanoma.

“Encouraging people to be more sun safe and reducing the high rates of deadly skin cancer will help make Queensland one of the safest places to live and raise a family.”

By mid-December 2014, a total of 88 solaria from 35 licensees across Queensland had been removed from commercial use and the equipment is in the process of being disposed of.

Queensland Health will use regulatory action in the New Year to take control of any of the remaining 55 solaria, owned by eight licensees, which have not been surrendered or legally transferred.

acting Minister McArdle said that Queensland Health had been working with Queensland licensees to assist them with the ban, adding "we have, of course, been mindful of those businesses that have been impacted by these changes.

“Queensland Health offered owners an incentive payment if they elected to surrender their tanning beds prior to the expiry of their licences.” 

As solaria were surrendered, or as licences have approached their expiry dates, Queensland Health had been arranging for the collection and disposal of the machines.

Western Australia and Tasmania are yet to enforce proposed bans while in the Northern Territory because there are no sunbed operators.

The Cancer Council is believed to now be urging a ban on in-home units.

14th December 2014 - NEW ZEALAND MOVES FORWARD WITH SUNBED RESTRICTIONS

18th November 2013 - SOUTH AUSTRALIA TO BAN SUNBEDS AS ABC REPORTS ON TANNING BLACK MARKET

6th September 2013 - VICTORIA BANS COMMERCIAL TANNING UNITS FROM 2015

30th July 2009 - 'NO DOUBT' SUNBEDS CAUSE CANCER