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| Cancer Council warns on solarium risks |
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THE Cancer Council Tasmania says school leavers should not put their lives at risk by using solariums to tan for their summer break. Cancer Council Tasmania health promotion coordinator Kay Gunn says there is no such thing as a safe or healthy tan, unless it comes out of a bottle or can. “Solariums emit ultraviolet (UV) radiation up to five times as strong as the sun and there is clear evidence of the link between solariums and skin cancer,” Ms Gunn said. “Skin damage starts with first exposure to UV radiation and builds up year after year. This is why childhood UV exposure increases the risk of skin cancer later in life,” she says. “Melanoma, the most serious and potentially deadly form of skin cancer, is the most common cancer in Australians aged between 15 and 39 years.” Ms Gunn says a recent international study found a 75 per cent increased risk of melanoma for people using solariums before the age of 35. “Solariums are definitely not a safe way to tan and students should not put their lives at risk after working so hard all year to set themselves up for a bright future,” Ms Gunn says. A 2005 Cancer Council Tasmania survey published earlier this year found 80% of high school students wanted some sort of tan, with most preferring either a light or moderate tan. Ms Gunn says tans are inherently unhealthy and should be avoided.
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