Features
Dying for a tan?
 |
| Jodie Marsh |
MANY see sunbeds as a quick
fix in their pursuit of the body
beautiful. However, by desperately
trying to get an all-year
tan, people are putting themselves
at risk of developing the most
deadly form of skin cancer.
The World Health Organisationfs
review of global studies show that the
younger you are when you start using
sunbeds the more likely you are to get
skin cancer.
It states that those who use sunbeds
between their teenage years and
early 30s are 75 per cent more likely
to get a malignant melanoma.
The publication of this review
coincides with the launch of the
SunSmart campaign by Cancer
Research UK.
Cancer Research UKfs lead
nurse Anne Croudass, based in
Southampton, said the charity
is calling for the Government
to introduce tough legislation
to protect the young.
She said: "We are particularly
concerned about young teenagers
using sunbeds and are working
with the Government to
review options for possible
regulation of the industry.
"We would like legislation
to prevent under-18s
using sunbeds and to
ban unmanned
coin-operated
machines
which can
attract underage
and vulnerable
users.
"The results
of the study
are a stark
warning to
young people
about the dangers
of indoor
tanning.
"Every time you
use them you are
harming your skin
and increasing
your risk of skin
cancer."
Southampton
City Council,
Winchester City
Council and
Fareham
Borough
Council have
already
removed
sunbeds in council
run premises
while New Forest
District Council and
Test Valley Borough
Council continue to
use the machines.
Eastleigh
Borough Council
said none of the
places it manages
have
sunbeds.
The charity
supports the
phasing out
of all tanning
salons and
Fareham did
this more than ten
years ago due to
fears over health
risks, while
Southampton followed
suit in 2000
after advice from
the British
Medical Institute
of Sport and
Recreation
Management.
Winchester City
Council had
sunbeds removed
from all its facilities
in January this year
because they gdidnft fit
inh with its healthy living
work.
But New Forest
District Council, head of
leisure Bob Millard, said
the authority has them in
all five of its leisure centres.
He said: "We know there is a demand
for tanning salons. People are going to
use them anyway and we would rather
they use them with us. When a person
uses council facilities the dangers are
explained to them and they are given
written information. We then assess
their skin type and see what treatment,
if any, they can have. We have no
unmanned machines."
He went on to say the council limits
customers to 20 sessions a year and doesnft
allow under 18-year-olds to use the
tanning salons.
A Test Valley Borough Council
spokesman said a private company runs
a number of premises on its behalf, two
of which have sunbeds and it allows people
as young as 16 to use them.
She said: "There are no coin-operated
or unmanned tanning machines so a person
cannot just walk in and use them.
Anyone who uses a sunbed has a skin
type assessment and medical evaluation
and an induction on the machine.
"Warnings about possible dangers are
displayed by the machine and we limit
the number of times a person can use
the machines to 20 a year."
She added that the company's policies
relating to the use of these exceed
national and European standards.
Cancer Research UK SunSmart campaign
manager Rebecca Russell said: "It
sounds like the local authorities in
Hampshire who still allow sunbeds in
their leisure centres are mimicking the
more responsible end of the market.
"However, we think they should all be
removed from all council-run premises
as it sends a mixed message.
"On one hand they are promoting
health and on the other they are operating
out of profit."
In Scotland there are proposals for a
new Public Health Bill to ban under
18s from using sunbeds and legislate for
all sunbed salons to be supervised and
proper information provided to customers.
With evidence stacking up and mounting
public concern it would seem that it
will only be a matter of time before similar
laws are introduced in England and
the days of the coin-operated sunbeds
may soon be numbered.
Skin cancer factfile
More than 75,000
people a year are diagnosed
with skin cancer.
Around 1,800
a year die of malignant melanoma.
Southampton had a higher mortality
rate for cancers generally in people under
65 than similar local authorities when it was
measured in 2000.
More women die of skin
cancer than men in Southampton.
From 1995
to 2000 an average of seven people a year died of
malignant melanoma in Southampton.
Mortality
due to malignant melanoma was higher in
Southampton than the national average in 2000.
Skin cancer is more common in sunny and
affluent areas including the south.
Past incidents
of melanoma in Southampton and
south west Hampshire have been up to
50 per cent higher than the UK average.
Melonoma affects more
young people than other
cancers.
11:07am Sunday 13th April 2008
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Email this 
CommentPosted by: hulla, baloo on 11:33am Sun 13 Apr 08
Have the Echo bought a job lot of the letter g, and trying to get rid of them?
Have the Echo bought a job lot of the letter g, and trying to get rid of them?
Posted by: me on 12:28pm Sun 13 Apr 08
lol
Posted by: JB Soton, Gosport on 1:28pm Sun 13 Apr 08
[quote][bold]hulla[/bold] wrote:
Have the Echo bought a job lot of the letter g, and trying to get rid of them?[/quote] lol, I hope you obtained permission from 'Get it right'Hythe before you posted this.They are going to be well upset you stole their thunder!
hulla wrote:
Have the Echo bought a job lot of the letter g, and trying to get rid of them?
lol, I hope you obtained permission from 'Get it right'Hythe before you posted this.They are going to be well upset you stole their thunder!
Posted by: paulb on 2:35pm Sun 13 Apr 08
IS this why people on benefits are all orange? I thought it was from the post office job they did and got sprayed with smart water
IS this why people on benefits are all orange? I thought it was from the post office job they did and got sprayed with smart water
Posted by: Jim, http://www.sunlights
cam.com/ on 7:29pm Sun 13 Apr 08
"On one hand they are promoting health and on the other they are operating out of profit." Doesn't this describe the dermatologists' business?
Watch http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=JXViUWszg
wg and
Visit http://www.sunlights
cam.com/
The health benefits of moderate exposure to UV light, at the beach or solarium, far outweigh any hypothetical risks.
"On one hand they are promoting health and on the other they are operating out of profit." Doesn't this describe the dermatologists' business?
Watch http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=JXViUWszg
wg and
Visit http://www.sunlights
cam.com/
The health benefits of moderate exposure to UV light, at the beach or solarium, far outweigh any hypothetical risks.
Posted by: King Mush, Woolston on 7:47pm Sun 13 Apr 08
[quote][bold]paulb[/bold] wrote:
IS this why people on benefits are all orange? I thought it was from the post office job they did and got sprayed with smart water[/quote] Nah - they've just been Tango'd
paulb wrote:
IS this why people on benefits are all orange? I thought it was from the post office job they did and got sprayed with smart water
Nah - they've just been Tango'd
Posted by: Denzil, Chilworth on 10:04pm Sun 13 Apr 08
Jodie Marsh is a minger. Her nose is horrific.
Jodie Marsh is a minger. Her nose is horrific.
Posted by: arabella, southampton on 8:32pm Wed 23 Apr 08
has anybody actually noticed that the majority of this piece is spelt wrong. It just made me laugh.
[quote]
Winchester City Council had sunbeds removed from all its facilities in January this year because they gdidnft fit inh with its healthy living work.
[/quote]
has anybody actually noticed that the majority of this piece is spelt wrong. It just made me laugh.
Winchester City Council had sunbeds removed from all its facilities in January this year because they gdidnft fit inh with its healthy living work.
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