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FURTHER MEASURES TO crack down on the use of sunbeds have been announced by the Health Minister Leo Varadkar.
From 2 March, commercial sunbed ‘happy hours’ and unlimited or free use of the beds will be banned, with users required to wear protective eyewear and forced to be supervised when they use sunbeds.
The latest measures follow the introduction of the ban on the use of sunbeds by under-18s, which came into force last July.
According to the National Cancer Registry there were over 10,000 cases of skin cancer in 2011. There are also over 850 new cases of melanoma in Ireland each year with over 150 Irish people dying each year from melanoma.
Speaking outside Leinster House today, Varadkar joked that he personally wasn’t a user of sunbeds:
“There’s more than one in my own constituency. I haven’t used any them. I don’t really need to, I have kind of a genetic tan.”
The new regulations will be policed by the HSE’s environmental health officers with Varadkar saying there had so far been good cooperation from the sunbed industry with the under-18s ban.
TheJournal Politics / TwitterSunbeds: Fashion to die for pic.twitter.com/B7Sp11loOn
— TheJournal Politics (@TJ_Politics) February 16, 2015
New regulations will also force sunbed business owners to display warning signs, providing information about the risks associated with sunbed use.
The head of advocacy and communications at the Irish Cancer Society, Kathleen O’Meara said there was “absolutely no health gain” from using sunbeds and said the organisation would encourage people not to use them at all.
Asked if she was disappointed that an all-out ban on sunbeds has not been introduced, she said:
“No, we’re not disappointed. Like I say it’s a start, we’ve looked for this. We’ll continue to look for a ban. Ultimately that’s our aim.”
She added that she hoped the new measures would mean that sunbeds “go out of fashion”.
Varadkar said that people needed to be allowed “a certain degree of personal freedom” when it came to sunbed use and said “we don’t want a nanny state”.
“We are trying to balance personal freedom with the protection of individuals and children in particular,” he added.
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I use them purely because I have extremely bad psoriasis. I don’t want to use them, I honestly hate being in one, but what other choice do I have?
Psoriasis has no cure, only sunlight and unfortunately we don’t get a lot of that in Ireland . Moving to a sunny country is not an option for me either! Once my psoriasis is gone I stop using them but would love an alternative option!
Leo fix the health service you idiot. Fed up every day with the nonsense he spouts.
Spot on, a pathetic deflection away from a fckd up ‘system, ynwa.
I reckon the people who hoax called leo varadkar have got far too much time on their hands .
They were probably waiting in A&E .
The risk of subbed is cancer, is psoriasis that bad that you’d risk it? My own mother has it but will live with it rather than risk her life with cancer..
Baa baa baaa
To be honest Lisa if you saw my skin then you would understand. 70% of my body was covered at one point. It’s not something that’s easy to live with so yeah unfortunately I’m left with no choice and will take the risk!
@ Colm
I agree the health service is an absolute disgrace! But public health is an imminent national need also and Liar Verruca has been doing a lot in this field! You generally don’t see the benefits for many years but this is the most foresight any politician has ever shown in this country!
Lisa your mother mustn’t have that bad a case of psoriasis or you wouldn’t make a comment like that. For some ppl its a necessary treatment to alleviate a very severe skin condition.
Rachel there’s other ways , find me on Facebook for testimonials x
Sun Tax should be on the the way by 2017. All windows will be metered and it will cost €50 to go outside.
Oh you overheard that meeting too I see.
My five year old will be devastated if I have to stop her 3 hour a week sunbed treat , have a heart Leo and leave them alone .
Leo is compromised now.
I would question his motives does he want to be the best tanned man in the dail ?
Not a fan but somebody tell me of the 850 annual new cases of melanoma how many are directly or partially caused by sunbed use?
They wouldn’t try and ban cigarettes they’d lose too much revenue and they’re worse !
do you think banning cigarettes would work??
It would never happen
Banning things generally doesn’t work. Watch out for illicit backstreet tanning salons
Sorry Leo you are in the job how many months and this is the biggest policy change you have announced?
Hope your not trying to get reelected anytime soon.
Varadkar is becoming a very boring Katie Price. When he was in Dept of transport he doubled road tax on most vehicles as well as increasing the annual Doe test on commercial vehicles from e77 to e112 a year now that he’s In health Dept hrs going for the easy option of upping the price of drink instead of tackling the underline problems the minority have with it.now he wants to put restrictions on tanning studio’s. I know he despices the private sector but he should just get on with the inefficient health services.
Ban them all.
Next on Leo agenda is nail polish……!
Ah, the ‘burning question’ that faces us all today. Whew, thanks Leo for attending to this urgent and pressing matter – we know you have shag all else to do.
Agreed. It’s highly unorthodox for a health minister to comment on issues relating to health.
Nothing like being on a trolly after sun burning your privates to a crisp on a sunbed? lol.
He’ll have them in hospital corridors and call them extra beds.
Obviously we will have to wait for another election to have anything done about health care in this country
Tantastic news
Varadkar said that people needed to be allowed “a certain degree of personal freedom” when it came to sunbed use and said “we don’t want a nanny state”.
What a laugh, he is restricting personal freedom and treating people like children. Talk about doublespeak!
Every week there’s a new nanny state rule. Minimum price alcohol is the epitome of a nanny state rule.
There isn’t a single political party in Ireland that doesn’t want to introduce more and more rules and regulations. Everything we do is controlled by the state.
There are a lot of health benefits from using sun beds in moderation. Vitamin D is essential for growth and for your immune system.
Europeans evolved quickly to have white skin because vitamin D is so important.
Oh sweet Jesus
The sheep need to be herded by the gestapo again
How many now will go baa baa or will they realise they are being controlled as a government policy for a purpose
Remember this in 16 months and remember if they (government€ allow their personal affairs to be published then it’s for a reason to humanise the control
How many on hospital trollies today Varadkar ?
How many on hospital waiting lists today Varadkar ?????
Get out of our faces !!!!!
God forbid we get a good summer again, Leo will close the beaches.
Leo to introduce trollies to sun parlours and noonan will decide the rate of tax on same .
Nanny state is alive and well.
Children once were told they get their hides tanned for doing wrong, now they get them tanned for first holy communion?
Next on Leo’s agenda is a condom tax.
Easy for him, he doesn’t need one
Time to ban mowing the yard going to beaches and any sun exposer what so ever. What would we do with out big brother?
oooo
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