The Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney, TD, confirmed today that she will seek Government approval later this month to introduce comprehensive legislation to regulate the use of artificial tanning devices. The use of such devices was classified as carcinogenic to humans, a Group 1 carcinogen, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2009. Environmental tobacco smoke is also listed as a Group 1 carcinogen.

The proposed legislation is designed to complement the Government’s broader cancer control agenda and the memorandum for Government would take into account recommendations from bodies such as the World Health Organisation, the Irish Cancer Society, the Environmental Health Officers Association, and the National Cancer Control Programme.  The legislation will likely included the following measures:

·         Prohibit the use of sunbeds by those under 18 years of age;

·         Prohibit the sale or hire of sunbeds to anyone under 18 years of age;

·         Prohibit the use of sunbeds in an unsupervised premises;

·         Require the placing of warning signs in sunbed premises;

·         Require the placing of warning labels on sunbeds;

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