Health groups welcome minister's vow to stop children using sunbeds; Edwina Hart considers ban for under-18s and the end of unmanned tanning salons

0 Comments | South Wales Echo (Cardiff, Wales), Oct 1, 2009

Byline: Madeleine Brindley ; Greg Tindle

HEALTH minister Edwina Hart has spoken of her intention to ban under-18s in Wales from using sunbeds.

She also wants to outlaw coinoperated tanning machines.

The Assembly Government and UK government officials are now looking at the legal options available to curb the use of sunbeds.

Mrs Hart's comments come more than six months after the Echo reported how Barry teenager Kirsty McRae had been admitted to hospital overnight after using an unmanned tanning salon.

No-one was at the Lextan salon in Barry to stop the 14-year-old schoolgirl spending 19 minutes on one of the beds. Kirsty suffered first-degree burns.

Mrs Hart said in written evidence to an inquiry by the Assembly's health committee: "I am convinced that the unregulated use of sunbeds is a public health problem. I am particularly concerned about the use of sunbeds by people under the age of 18 and by the use of coin-operated sunbeds.

"It is my intention to prohibit the use of sunbeds by persons under 18 years of age and also to ban the operation of unstaffed sunbed salons in Wales.

"All legislative means to achieve these and the other associated policy objectives are being considered, namely primary legislation with the UK government made through the Westminster Parliament; secondary legislation made by Welsh ministers under the umbrella of existing primary legislation, and legislative competence for the Welsh Assembly Government."

Julie Barratt, director of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health in Wales, which has led the calls for a ban on unmanned tanning salons, said: "We welcome the minister's commitment to do something about this and we appreciate it will not happen quickly.

"In the meantime our officers will be doing what they can with the limited powers available to them to protect the public."

And Dr Ian Lewis, head of research at cancer charity Tenovus, said: "We are delighted to see this issue is high on the political agenda and Tenovus are keen to see new regulations in place as soon as possible.

"It is important the Government takes this step to protect the people of Wales, in particular young people who are largely unaware of the damaging effects that sunbeds can have on their skin."

A spokeswoman for the Sunbed Association, which represents sunbed manufacturers, distributors and operators, said it did not support the use of unmanned salons.

But in its evidence to the health committee's inquiry, the association disputed the link between the "responsible" use of sunbeds and an increase in skin cancer cases.

CAPTION(S):

Kirsty McRae, 14, was admitted to hospital with third degree burns after using a sunbed for 19 minutes in an unmanned tanning salon