Proposed banning of sunbeds

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Ciaraella

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Seems to me the suggestion to ban sunbeds by Mary Harney is a bit extreme. I'm not a fan of them at all for many reasons - potential skin cancer, they age your skin, can be claustrobhic - but if people are warned about the dangers and regulations are put in place to control the age of people using them and the amount of time per session then is not up to the individual adult to decide for themselves? If Ireland was a very sunny country would you outlaw sunbathing without suncream? Do you ban fast food for similar reasons ie damaging to your health? I think people should be responsible for looking after their own health once adequate information about the risks is provided. Not to mention all the people who may lose their jobs if the salons etc are closed down!
 
Smoking is a hell of a lot worse for you and kills more people each year - I wonder why Harney doesn't waffle on about banning smoking from the country? wouldn't be the tax now would it?? ;)

I think at the age of 18 you are old enough to decide what you want to do re tanning etc
 
It's an old trick to narrow what should be a wider debate on to a particular element that suits.

Wheras the debate in this case should be the adequacy of the Government's strategy for cancer prevention, it's centred on whether the Minister for Health should ban sunbeds - beautiful.
 
I think its a good idea.

Using a sunbed WILL increase your risk of cancer and has no health benefits whereas being outside in the sun MAY increase your risk in certain circumstances, but is good for you in other circumstances.

Also remember that you can wear sunblock if you are outside, but people dont wear sunblock in sunbeds (defeats the purpose).
 
I suppose its a good idea too - it can't be healthy to expose your skin on a sunbed.

Am actually surprised that the Minister decided not to introduce a swingeing tax on their use - thus enabling tanning studios to limp on while at the same time charging the burns-brigade extra for their leatheryness.

Will having a sunbed or face-tanner at home soon become as socially unacceptable as switching on your patio heater?

What's next after sunbeds?! Are they laying the ground for banning the use of lard in the chippy or smoking anywhere in public? Both reinforced by heft fines for possession of a greasy bag of chips or a hastily stubbed out butt...
 
jhegarty said:
But the tax payer has to fund their cancer treatment.
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This is true of smokers, drinkers, people who have heartattacks due to obesity, the list goes on and on. My problem with it is at what point does the state stop? If the fact that something is bad for your health is justification for the state to ban it then where does it end? Personal responsibity will mean nothing.
 
Ciaraella said:
If the fact that something is bad for your health is justification for the state to ban it then where does it end? Personal responsibity will mean nothing.
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One of the main problems with the personal responsibility argument is that a huge number of people are simply clueless - common sense, imho, is actually very, very rare.

The problem with sun beds, as opposed to smoking, alcohol and obesity, is that it is very possible to do VERY severe health damage in merely a few minutes.

Take these cases
14 year old girl
10 year old girl
UK Sunbed Deaths
Cancerhelp (UK) - scroll down to sunbeds
International Agency for Research on Cancer
From this (IARC) warning: "Combined analysis of over 20 epidemiological studies shows that the risk of cutaneous melanoma is increased by 75% when the use of tanning devices starts before age 30. There is also sufficient evidence of an increased risk of ocular melanoma associated with the use of tanning devices"
[broken link removed]

Of course, everyone says "I won't get cancer - that only happens to old people!", or something along those lines.

Cancer can be one hell of a disease to battle. Malignant melanoma is one of the most virulent forms.

I have no issue whatsoever in banning them. Unfortunately some, actually many, people need to be protected from themselves.
 
Sunbeds are often used beneficially to help treat skin ailments such as Psoriasis so I wonder what will happen in this instance?
I've always thought our health minister was a litle 'Ironic'
 
bren1916 said:
Sunbeds are often used beneficially to help treat skin ailments such as Psoriasis so I wonder what will happen in this instance?
I've always thought our health minister was a litle 'Ironic'
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These treatments are done in clinics under doctors advice, not in your local tanning shop. Dont see the ban applying to medical uses.
 
Teatime said:
In recent years I have been hearing that sun creams can cause cancer
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There's an article on rte.ie that suggests there may be a link to Alzheimers.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0825/alzheimers.html

I suppose my main point is to do with personal responsibility and the fact that there's talk of banning sunbeds but no talk of banning cigarettes for example. Why one and not the other if the point is to save people from themselves?
 
One of the points Mary Harney made was about parents taking their children for a tan before their First Communion. If people are that stupid............

Whilst I am not a huge fan of the Minister, this is actually a common sense idea that she should get some praise for.
 
Mpsox said:
One of the points Mary Harney made was about parents taking their children for a tan before their First Communion. If people are that stupid............
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But that's where regulations come in, over 18's maybe. It's doesn't have to be all or nothing.
 
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