From today, operators will face a fine of up to €4,000 or six months in prison for allowing patrons under 18 years of age to hire or buy a sunbed.
The ban of sunbed use for under 18s comes into effect today after many years of lobbying by bodies including the Irish Cancer Society.
Skin cancer is the fastest growing cancer in Ireland and claims 150 lives annually, with 850 new cases discovered each year.
Speaking last week, Health Minister Leo Varadkar described the ban as “an essential step to protect children’s health and wellbeing”, and said the Irish people should remember: “To be pale is to be beautiful. Don’t feel you have to get a tan.”
Kathleen O’Meara, of the Irish Cancer Society said the move was important as too many people are risking their lives by using sunbeds.
The Irish Cancer Society estimate that up to 28,000 children and young people use sun beds annually. Kathleen O’Meara of the organisation welcomed the new ban, saying: “The link between sunbeds and skin cancer is clear – the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has placed sunbeds in the highest cancer risk category. This means that sunbed use is as carcinogenic as tobacco or plutonium. It is our hope that this legislation will mark a turning point in attitudes to using sunbeds in Ireland.”
