Time to license sunbed industry

Consumer NZ says enough is enough with the sunbed industry, following a survey it commissioned which showed consistent non-compliance with a voluntary standard.

The standard was revised last year following concerns about increased risks of sunbed users and it now bans their use by people under the age of 18.

Consumer NZ sent a 16-year-old college student to take 10 sunbed sessions with operators listed in Wellington's Yellow Pages. Four were sun-tanning services, four were gyms and two were beauty salons.

Only three operators asked her age. When they found she wasn't 18, two called her mother who gave permission (the earlier standard allowed under-18s to use a sunbed if they obtained parental consent but this is no longer the case). The third signed a consent form for her.

The standard recommends that all sunbed users sign a consent form, but only four operators used one. Of the forms she signed, only two mentioned skin cancer risks associated with exposure to UV radiation. All 10 allowed her to take a tanning session.

Consumer NZ chief executive Sue Chetwin said its researchers were shocked by some operators' lack of responsibility.

"Only four asked our 16-year-old to complete a form giving details of her skin type and any sunburn information. Bodyworks didn't even warn her she needed to protect her eyes - she found goggles hanging on the wall. She didn't use the sunbeds but spent her time in the booth completing our survey form."

This lack of compliance is typical of the industry. Chetwin said past surveys had found operators frequently ignored, or were unaware of the standard's requirements. "Nationwide we have found operators that didn't follow safety practices."

New technology means a sunbed may expose you to as much as five times the dose of UV radiation you'd receive from the midday sun in summer. This makes them more dangerous than radiation from the sun.

New Zealand has one of the highest rates of malignant melanoma, the most serious skin cancer. Last month the International Agency for Research on Cancer placed sunbeds in the highest-risk category for causing caner, along with asbestos and tobacco. The agency said the risk of skin cancer increased 75 percent when people used sunbeds before age 30.

Consumer NZ believes the industry has shown it can't comply with standards. It believes the operation of sunbeds should be licensed and at the very least, people under the age of 18 or with a sensitive Skin Type 1 should be prohibited from using them.

ENDS

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