The NSW Government is set to ban solariums by late 2014 after a rise in solarium-related skin cancer deaths and new statistics revealing sun beds can increase a person’s risk of melanoma.

NSW Minister for Environment Robyn Parker announced the plans will come into effect from December 31, 2014 to give time for solariums to “diversify” their market.

“Solaria use is associated with a range of skin cancers, including melanoma, which is the most life-threatening form of skin cancer and the most common form of skin cancer among 15 to 39-year-olds,” Minister Parker said.

“Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world and this ban is long overdue.”

Natural sunlight and UV rays found in solariums are rich in Vitamin D – a vitamin promoting healthy growth and function of bones, but too much or too little can be unhealthy.

A recent World Health Organisation report indicates that, on a sunny day, “a fair-skinned person will achieve maximum Vitamin D production from exposing face and forearms to midday sunlight for five to ten minutes, up to three times a week. Short exposure gives the benefit and long exposure causes harm.”

“Reverse the tan ban!”

But the NSW Government’s decision is not without its critics, and will seriously affect several local tanning businesses who feel the banning measure is an overreaction.

“They didn’t have any consultation with us so we were really quite surprised,” reacts Fiona Gamble, owner of Soleil Tanning in Darlinghurst.

Gamble believes it’s all about tanning smart, not hard. “The golden rule of tanning is to never burn,” she tells Same Same.

“Ultimately, it will drive the industry underground,” Gamble warns. She believes people will never stop tanning and forcing them underground is negligent and “unsafe”.

The Cancer Council has long promoted the abolition of solariums and suggests the solaria industry “has a history of poor compliance with industry standards and regulation.”

But Gamble is adamant that Soleil Tanning complies with all legal solarium procedures, including only tanning once every 48 hours and monitoring individual use.

“I keep the salon very clean because I think that’s very important and all my staff are very educated so they’re going to hold your hand if you like and take you through the tanning process and explain to you about all the creams and everything that happens,” she says.

Facebook group Reverse the tan ban has been established by Dani Tillett and has seen a groundswell support for NSW solariums.

Tillett believes banning solariums will increase the rates of skin cancer when individuals take tanning into their own hands with unregulated “secondhand or cheap machines” as well as more frequent and potentially harmful trips to the beach.

In a study conducted by the Chappelle Toxicology Consulting, Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center, when tanning sessions are carried out in a controlled professional solarium rather than unregulated at home, “there is no association with melanoma,” Tillett highlights.

The study also stated: “Consistent with data examining risk among all ages, the increased risk among those with first use under the age of 35 years is evident only among home sunbed users.”

Therefore, the message seems to be about tanning safely, professionally and knowing personal limits. Without regulations set by professional solariums, individuals could be at a greater risk of melanoma.

Victoria and the ACT introduced legislation banning people under 18 and those with pale skin from using solariums, but NSW is the first state to introduce a blanket ban on solarium tanning.

The new legislation has bipartisan support, with the NSW Opposition and Greens Party urging the new law to be introduced earlier.

What are your thoughts? Do you believe tanning machines are unhealthy, or is this the ‘nanny state’ gone too far?