Australian state seeks to tighten tanning bed rules

Sydney - The Australian state of New South Wales is attempting to tighten tanning bed regulations by calling for a ban on tanning bed usage by people under age 30 and by anyone with skin classed as very sensitive, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Under the proposed regulations, people with skin phototype 2, or skin that burns easily and tans minimally, and anyone under age 25 would be banned from solariums beginning April 1. Beginning Aug. 1, the prohibition would extend to anyone under age 30. Current regulations prohibit those under age 18 and anyone with skin phototype 1 - skin that always burns and never tans - from using tanning booths.

The Morning Herald reports that assistant health minister Frank Sartor noted that tanning beds used in solariums have been classed as a grade one carcinogen by the International Agency for Research in Cancer. Last year, Brazil became the first country in the world to make tanning beds illegal.

“By proposing further restrictions on the use of tanning beds for cosmetic purposes, we can further mitigate the harmful carcinogenic effects of solaria radiation and significantly reduce the risk to young people and fair-skinned people of developing a melanoma,” Mr. Sartor said.