THE IRISH Cancer Society has called on the Government to follow the UK lead and immediately introduce legislation to regulate use of sunbeds.
A ban on sunbeds for under-18s and also on unstaffed coin-operated booths will become law next year after the House of Lords passed legislation on Thursday. Kathleen O’Meara, head of advocacy at the society, said this was a very welcome move in protecting children and alerting the public to the danger of using sunbeds.
The society has criticised repeated delays in this State in introducing legislation to ban the use of sunbeds by under-18s.
The legislation was promised by Minister for Health Mary Harney in 2006, but the society said it now looked as if it would be about two more years before the regulations came into force.
“We don’t have a sense that it’s a priority for the Government,” Ms O’Meara said.
This was particularly worrying, because the rate of skin cancer was rising. Latest figures show 756 melanoma cases were diagnosed in 2008, compared to 688 in 2007.
She also pointed out that sunbeds were recently reclassified as a group one carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. This categorisation places sunbed use on a par with cigarette smoking.
The proposals promised by Ms Harney are expected to ban sunbeds for under-18s, ban unsupervised services, and require warning signs on sunbeds and in salons.
Sunbed operators may be required to register with the HSE, and the proposals could include the introduction of inspections, with penalties for non-compliance. They will also allow exemptions in respect of the use of sunbeds for medical use – for certain skin conditions, for example.
Asked when the new regulations would be introduced, a Department of Health spokesman said it was not possible to put a date on it. He said the department was meeting with a number of stakeholders this month, after which a regulatory impact analysis would be finalised.
A memo would be submitted to Government for approval of the policy proposals.
“It is expected that the memo for Government will be prepared by the end of the second quarter [June] in 2010,” he said.
Once approved by the Government, the Attorney General’s office would draft the legislation in this area.
The spokesman said it should also be noted that Ireland must notify the EU of this draft legislation. Member states and the European Commission would be allowed three months to object to the legislation, he said. Finally, the legislation would come before the Oireachtas, and amendments, if any, would be considered.
Given this timeframe and the competing demands on Dáil time, the society said it would be about two years before the new restrictions were in place.
Ms O’Meara said the Government must put a red flag on this issue. She urged Ms Harney to look at the merits of a complete ban on sunbeds.
In August, Ms Harney said she would love to see a complete ban. She expressed concern at reports that parents had allowed girls to use sunbeds before their First Communion.
