State Government to ban solarium use
HEALTH Minister Lawrence Springborg has announced Queensland will ban new solariums from January 1.
Mr Springborg says sun-beds and stand-up tanning machines that use exposure to ultraviolet radiation are dangerous.
"People who use a solarium before the age of 35 have a 75% greater risk of melanoma," Mr Springborg said.
"Under new regulations, the possession, supply and use of new commercial solaria will be banned."
The Minister said evidence of growing community awareness of the risks posed by solarium use was abundant.
"Today about 120 solaria are registered in Queensland to about 80 licensed operators, which is down from 200 operators with 350 units in 2007," he said
The Radiation Safety Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2012 would ban the possession of any new commercial solaria in Queensland.
"This will prevent the establishment of new commercial enterprises based on exposure to UVR, as well as the expansion of those business that currently exist across the state," he said.
"Our current legislation requires operators to be licensed. This ban on new equipment will accelerate the trend away from solaria as existing equipment fails or as licensees relocate.
Individuals will continue to be licensed until no more commercial solaria remain."
Recent surveys of the industry found about 570 full-time staff and 650 part-time staff were employed by solarium operators in Queensland and about 340 full-time staff and 410 part-time staff employed in gyms with solariums.
"The ban will not apply to a solarium used exclusively by a health practitioner for a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure, or privately-owned solaria for the personal use of an individual," he said.
A 2012 report covering 18 EC and trade-related countries found that in 2008 an estimated 3438 cases of melanoma could be attributed to sunbed use, most (2341) occurring among women.
