The public has been warned over the “significant risks” associated from using sunbeds and unregulated tanning products.
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in Ireland with over 11,000 cases diagnosed annually, according to the HSE.
The warning from the HSE’s National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) coincides with the 10th anniversary of the introduction of the Public Health (Sunbeds) Act 2014 this week.
The NCCP said that it is never safe to use sunbeds, as exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a primary cause of skin cancer.
Consultant plastic and reconstructive plastic surgeon at the Mater Hospital Professor Shirley Potter said that skin cancer is a significant public health problem.
“UV exposure is the cause of the majority of skin cancer. There are significant health risks associated with sunbed use including skin cancer and eye damage,” she said.
Prof Potter added: “It is important to consider safer alternatives and to prioritise long-term skin health over temporary tanning.”
The European Commission Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks has previously stated that there is no safe limit for exposure to UV radiation from sunbeds.
Dr Breeda Neville, specialist in public health medicine for the NCCP, said: “People who have used a sunbed at least once, at any stage in their life, have a 20% higher risk of developing melanoma than those who have never used a sunbed.”
The NCCP has also urged people to avoid using the unregulated tanning product Melanotan II.
A statement from the HSE said the product “has been unsafely promoted and sold as a tanning accelerant on various social media platforms and in some sunbed businesses”.
Last year the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) issued a warning over the serious health risks linked to dangerous and illegal tanning aids that are being targeted at young people online.
The products, which include tanning injections, drops and nasal sprays, contain Melanotan II also known as the “Barbie drug”.
“Melanotan II is a completely unregulated product and should never be used. In the case of this product, there is absolutely no such thing as legitimate source,” said Seán Cullen from the HPRA.
A study from Healthy Ireland highlighted that 18% of participants reported using a sunbed “at some point during their life”, while 3% said they use sunbeds “either regularly or from time to time”.
The research, conducted in 2022, also found that current sunbed use is highest among women aged under 45 years of age and that people aged 15 to 34 years of age are most likely to say they would try sunbeds.
Alternatives to sunbeds and unregulated tanning products include fake tan creams, but the HSE advised people that such products do not offer any protection from the sun.
