LAST UPDATE | 9 Jul

GOVERNMENT ADVISORS HAVE said sunbeds should be banned in Ireland for causing skin cancer.

Sunbeds provide a cosmetic tan to the skin by emitting different types of ultraviolet radiation to stimulate melanin in the skin to produce a tanned appearance. The World Health Organization has previously classified the assets as carcinogenic.

Public health minister Jennifer Murnane O’Connor has today announced a cross-departmental working group which will work to ban use of sunbeds commercially.

The Institute of Public Health has recommended a ban on sunbeds in Ireland to reduce the risk of skin cancer.

Despite existing regulations, the institute highlighted concerns around their use by children in Ireland. It also cited significant public health risks associated with ultraviolet radiation, which cause cancer.

The HSE last month said lessons should be learnt following a 2013 ban on commercial sunbeds in Australia. Currently, there are restrictions in place for the use of sunbeds for those under the age of 18 in the EU.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin last week expressed support for a potential ban on commercial sunbeds, which is included in the programme for government, telling The Journal that outlawing them was a “no-brainer”.

Junior minister Murnane O’Connor said the government is seeking to do “everything within our power” to protect the public from harmful products and reduce the risk of cancer.