DEFA Member responsible for the Environment Directorate Mrs Brenda Cannell MHK is taking the draft Sunbeds Bill 2012 through its second reading in the House of Keys next week.
 
This Bill has been drafted following consultation with the Department of Health. The main purpose of the Bill is to prevent the use of sunbeds on commercial business premises by children and young people under the age of 18.
 
Mrs Cannell said :- “The health case for this legislation is clear: skin cancer incidence is increasing. The main cause of skin cancer is over-exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays. This may be from natural sunlight or artificial rays from the use of sunbeds and sunlamps.
 
Skin cancer typically takes decades to develop, so may not become apparent until years after the damaging exposure.”
 
Mrs Cannell added:- “There is currently no legislation in the Island that provides specifically for the regulation of sunbeds and it was clear that voluntary regulation by the sunbed industry was not working. This Bill seeks to prevent persons aged under 18 from using sunbeds. Businesses that offer sunbeds for use on their premises are banned from allowing persons aged under 18 to use, or have access to, their sunbeds, and from offering their sunbeds for use by persons aged under 18.
 
The Bill includes provision to prevent the use of sunbeds in unsupervised premises and also regulation-making powers that would allow the further regulation of sunbed use.”

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