Guilty pleasure now a death trap

The golden glow of summer and a seductive tan is no longer just a guilty pleasure but a real danger as sunbeds are elevated to the highest possible cancer risk level.

The increased ranking has now placed sunbeds on the same level of risk as carcinogens such as tobacco, arsenic and asbestos.

Cancer Society skin cancer advisor Dr Judith Galtry says the society wants to see the Government regulate to better protect people from the dangers.

“Under 18-year-olds and fair-skinned people shouldn’t be using them at all,” says Dr Galtry.

The Cancer Society’s call for Government action comes in response to a study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

“They found the risk of melanoma increased by 75 per cent among people under 30 years old.”

However Indoor Tanning association of New Zealand media spokesperson Matt Adams believes the current criticism of the sunbed industry is unjust.

“More than twice the number of people die each year on roads than from melanoma.”

Adams says the New Zealand public has been fed propaganda to stay away from the sun.

“We need [sun light] for good health.

“The only way to get vitamin D is to get it through the sun.”

Adams says all a sunbed does is to disperse a messaged dosage of rays.

But a Ministry of Health spokesperson, who did not wish to be identified, says all forms of ultraviolet radiation contribute to skin cancer.

“Exposure to sunlamps or sunbeds is known to be a human carcinogen.”

Where Dr Galtry’s society is pushing for more guidelines the Government wants to see if self regulation can work.

The Ministry of Health spokesperson says sunbeds operators need to be better educated before considering regulations can be considered.

“It would be important to first raise awareness among solaria [sunbed] operators of the risks and the need for compliance with the Guidelines for Operators booklet published by the National Radiation Laboratory and the Australia and New Zealand Standard.”

Earlier this year the Australia and New Zealand sunbed standard introduced voluntary self regulation.

The regulations suggested that under 18- year-olds be banned from sunbed use, as well as people with fairer skin.

But Dunedin school of medicine director of the cancer society, social and behavioural research Dr Anthony Reeder believes this step has been ineffective.

“Self regulation hasn’t worked. They’re not capable of looking after themselves.”

Dr Reeder says when the sunbed industry was assessed earlier this year to see if voluntary regulations were being followed appalling results were discovered.

“They weren’t checking if people were type one skin type and their age.

“In general terms they haven’t tided up their act.”

But Adams counters the regulations were introduced with little input from the sunbed industry.

“The [regulations] were put to us without any consultation.

The whole panel was people with an agenda, such as the cancer society.”

Adams says the Tanning Association supports industry regulations but was disappointed with the closed-door process.

He says they would have liked to see greater industry input.

Dr Galtry says increased public awareness of the danger of sunbeds has had a major effect on sunbed salons.

“There was a recent study that showed salons are closing down in Australian states, where they found people are not using them as much.”

Dr Reeder says he expects to see a similar decrease in the number of sunbeds available in the future, as less people in New Zealand use them.

Skindeep Browns Bay manager Madeline Wright says they removed sunbeds from their salon two years ago.

“We got rid of them because of the negative publicity around how harmful they are.”

Wright believes several other beauty salons around the country have also done the same.

However, Wright says this has not stopped people continuing to enquire about having a sunbeds at the salon.

Sunset Tan New Zealand owner Matt Adams says he has not seen a decrease in business.

He says the number of clients who use sunbeds each week is in the high hundreds.

“The sex split is about 60 per cent female and 40 per cent male.”

Adams says media coverage on sunbeds often aims for the sensational to attract public attention, rather than factual coverage.

“Common sense prevails and people see that sunbeds are only dangerous if abused by the user, like most things in life.”

However AUT University student Nicole Haysom disagrees and says sunbed salons do not adequately publicise the danger of sunbeds.

“The only thing [sunbed operators have] is when they have a warning to not wear make-up because you may have an allergic reaction.”

Haysom is fair skinned and has been using sunbeds regularly for several years.

“When you go in there there’s all these pretty pictures of brown people and they are always really good looking.”

“I know sunbeds are really dangerous but they don’t put it out there much.”

Haysom says sunbed salons encourage you to come every second day for 12 minute sessions, until the preferred tanned colour has been achieved.

“I know a girl who goes every second day. She’s addicted to being brown.”

Ministry of Health guidelines say sunbed operators should ensure clients have a space of at least 48 hours between tanning sessions.

Yet Adams remains adamant the sun and sunbeds can be safely enjoyed if a few simple procedures are followed.

“The message is don’t burn, but you don’t need to cover up in long sleeves and a hat.”

Adams says he would like to see greater coverage of the health benefits of sun and sunbed use.

“We want to see a bit more of well rounded information put out there.”

The Ministry of Health says they intend to reassess solaria operators in light of work carried out between the District Health Boards and operators earlier this year.

“We want to check whether the work undertaken by District Health Board public health staff was effective or whether other measures may be needed.”