Public Health & Child and Youth Health

By Deputy Chair Dr Choong-Siew YongNon-melanoma skin cancer is the most common cancer in Australia, with about 434,000 people treated each year.  Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in Australia, causing approximately 1,430 deaths in 2008.  It is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers among young people.

Despite 30 years of targeted public education campaigns, such as Slip, Slop, Slap, many Australians still desire a tan, often believing that it makes them look and feel healthier.

While young people’s tanning choices may be changing, the desirability of a tanned appearance remains strong.  This is cause for concern, as childhood and adolescence are known to be critical periods during which sun exposure is more likely to contribute to skin cancer in later life.

Australia’s moderate climate and expansive space have rendered outdoor recreation, including water sports, popular pastimes.  Obviously, appropriate sun protection is extremely important.  However, some people pursue tanning dangerously by using sunbeds.

In the 1880s and early 1990s, this approach was touted as a safe way to tan.  Today, we know that the UV radiation received in a solarium is concentrated - and a 20-minute exposure is equivalent to an entire day spent in the sun. 

A systematic review[1] considering the link between skin cancer and solarium use concluded that using solariums before the age of 35 boosts the risk of melanoma by 75 per cent, and it also increases the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer.  A number of organisations, including the AMA, have warned publicly about the dangers of abusive solarium use.

In a welcome move, the NSW Government has recently announced plans to ban solariums.  Thus far, Brazil is the only country in the world to have introduced a complete ban.  However, it is understood that the NSW ban will only come into effect from 2014.  Interestingly, a study from an Australian university estimates that the NSW ban will prevent about 120 melanomas from developing and it will also save about 10 lives per year. 

In recent times, a number of States and Territories have tightened regulations around solariums.  Furthermore, the NSW Government’s move to ban the tanning machines demonstrates a strong commitment to health care in NSW, particularly in relation to young people.

It’s time to increase pressure on other States and Territories to ensure that they make similar commitments as soon as possible. 

[1] International Agency for Research on Cancer Working Group on artificial ultraviolet light and skin cancer. The association of use of sunbeds with cutaneous malignant melanoma and other skin cancer: a systematic review. International Journal of Cancer 2007: 120: 1116-22