Sunbed operators placed on notice

Tauranga could enforce rules on sunbed operators to protect teenagers and the fair-skinned from excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation, the council says. Photo/File

Tauranga could enforce rules on sunbed operators to protect teenagers and the fair-skinned from too much tanning, if the community demands it, the city council says.

Auckland has become the nation's first city to ban under-18s from using sunbeds in response to cancer risks.

Under a new Auckland Council bylaw, which came into effect on July 1, commercial sunbed operators are banned from operating unless they obtain a council licence.

It is aimed at limiting harm from commercial sunbeds and includes a ban on treating people under 18.

Outside the Auckland region, New Zealand sunbed operators are asked to comply with only a voluntary standard, which states that people under 18 and those of any age with fair skin should not be treated.

Tauranga City Council environmental compliance manager John Payne said the council's default position was that sunbed regulation was a national issue rather than something for a local bylaw to address.

"That is a conversation Tauranga City Council has not yet had with the community but it is certainly a conversation worth having if there is public demand for it.

"This council has not received any complaints regarding the use of sunbeds."

The Auckland bylaw also covers tattooing, body piercing, hair removal and nail services. A code of practice requires sunbed operators to explain the risks to customers and display warning notices.

A Health Ministry survey last year estimated there were about 140 commercial sunbed operators nationally.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified tanning devices that emit ultraviolet radiation as a cause of cancer in humans.

Its analysis shows the risk of melanoma, a form of skin cancer, increased by 75 per cent when the use of tanning devices starts before age 30.

New Zealand has one of the world's highest rates of melanoma with more than 300 deaths each year.

However, we have been slow to follow the international trend of prohibiting under-18s from using tanning beds. The Government last year promised to introduce an under-18s ban, but the measure has been delayed.

Sunbed industry group Indoor Tanning Industry NZ (INTANZ), said it would like to see the Auckland bylaw rolled out nationwide.

"We've been pushing for this for a long time," spokesman Rene Fouwler said.

The proposed Government ban did not go far enough, and the bylaw was more comprehensive, he said.

Provisions of the nationwide voluntary standard, such as waiting 48 hours between tanning sessions and restrictions on tanning those with fair skin, should be made compulsory.

"At least it gives the industry a black and white guideline."

Cancer Society Auckland chief executive John Loof urged the government to follow Australia and ban commercial sunbeds completely.

"Sunbeds are dangerous and unnecessary and they significantly increase the risk of melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, and the risk of developing melanoma at an early age".