Vol. 521 No. 1
182 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps his Department has taken to make the public aware of the link between sunbeds and malignant melanoma; and the plans he has to introduce controls on the use of sunbeds. [16443/00]
183 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement on the situation where the Irish Cancer Society seminar on preventing skin cancer has been told by a person (details supplied) that malignant melanoma has risen by 3.4% since 1994; and the steps he is taking to deal with this situation. [16444/00]
184 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps he will take to deal with a situation where Irish women rank fourth in incidences of malignant melanoma amongst 20 European countries and where the number of cases here is rising. [16445/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 182 to 184, inclusive, together.
The health promotion unit of my Department works closely with a range of statutory and voluntary groups to ensure that people have the information and the support to make healthy lifestyle choices. The unit supports an extensive range of initiatives organised by the Irish Cancer Society, a number of which have an impact on the levels of knowledge and awareness of the risk factors associated with many cancers including melanomas.
This support enables the society to organise a "Sunsmart Campaign" each year the objectives of which are: to increase awareness of skin cancer risk factors; to encourage people who are high risk to avoid excessive exposure to the sun and to avoid the use of sunbeds; and to adopt appropriate sun protection for themselves and their families and to promote early detection of skin cancer.
The society's current campaign is aimed specifically at young children, the central message being "Take Care Of Your Child's Skin In The Sun". This objective will be achieved by continuing to work through partnerships in the key settings of schools, the health services, the workplace and the community.
The health promotion unit of my Department also produces a range of information materials in relation to the dangers of the sun and the precautions to be taken when going abroad on sun holidays.
I have no plans to introduce legislation banning the use of sunbeds. Existing consumer legislation sets standards for tanning equipment and requires appropriate warning notices to be displayed on the equipment.
The advice given by my Department is that sunbeds should be used in moderation and that people should seek the advice of their family doctor before doing so for the first time. In certain circumstances exposure to sunbeds may constitute a hazard. Sunbeds should not be used by children under 18, persons who burn easily or tan poorly, those taking drugs or cosmetics thought to be photoactive, those suffering from skin disorders induced or aggravated by exposure to sunlight, those with a history of skin cancer and those with risk factors for cutaneous melanoma. A consumer information sheet on possible risks from tanning equipment and the appropriate precautions is, as I said, available to the public from the Irish Cancer Society.
Sunbeds are widely used in beauty salons by beauty therapists who offer cosmetic tanning as part of their services. Guidelines on the use of sunbeds in beauty salons were drawn up by the Society of Applied Cosmetology which represents beauty therapists. These guidelines incorporate advice from the Irish Medical Organisation and the Irish Cancer Society on appropriate precautions to be taken by sunbed operators to protect the health of clients.
