Victoria introduces tougher regulations on Solariums

Victorians under the age of 18 are to be banned from using solariums under stricter regulations to be introduced from 1st February 2009.

The new Victorian regulations build on measures introduced last year which led to the development of a national agreement to regulate tanning units across Australia.

In addition to prohibiting people aged under 18 from using solariums, they will also improve the assessment of skin type prior to exposing a new client to UV and require the determination of a maximum exposure time.

Operators will still be required to display mandatory health warnings, supervise the use of solaria and be licensed.

Victorian Health Minister Daniel Andrews has also announced that $88,000 would be provided to the Cancer Council to continue its 'Fashion to Die for' campaign, first launched in 2005.

As Minister Andrews explained, "young people must know that a tan does not mean good health.

"We know that in Australia, there are close to 300 melanoma cases and over 40 melanoma-related deaths attributed to solarium use each year.

"We are committed to reducing the risk of melanomas due to the use of solariums, with these new measures expected to prevent up to 12 deaths from melanoma over the next 10 years.

"People who use a solarium before the age of 35 have a 75% greater risk of melanoma than those who don't use solariums."

Complementing the work of existing compliance inspectors, there will also be a 'mystery shopper' system during the year to ensure operators are not admitting under 18s or anyone with very fair skin.

The Victorian Government claims that inspectors from its Department of Human Services have already visited almost 90% of solarium operators, with the remainder to be completed in the coming months. Solarium operators who breach the regulations can be fined up to $680,000 and have their tanning units sealed.

Minister Andrews concluded "data collected by the Department of Human Services indicates the number of solaria has fallen by around 30% since 2007, and we believe this reflects a drop in demand for people wanting to use tanning units."

14th March 2008 - STRICTER LAWS FOR SOLARIUM OPERATORS