13. 11. 09. - 14:00

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13. 11. 09. - 14:00

Under-18s get solarium ban

By Lisa Chapman

Teenagers are to be banned from solariums because of the risk of skin cancer, it emerged today (Fri).

Social Democratic (SPÖ) consumer-protection spokesman Johann Maier said today (Fri): "All five parties agreed today during a meeting of the consumer-protection committee that children and youths under 18 should be banned from using ultra-violet radiation devices at solariums."

Maier said scientific studies had shown use of such devices by young people was a contributing factor in the development of skin cancer and pointed out that Germany, Italy and France had already banned young people from solariums.

The International Agency for Cancer Research in Lyon, France, has warned use of ultra-violet devices is as big a cancer risk as smoking. It said 20 studies had concluded the risk of skin cancer increased by 75 per cent in people who had begun to use such devices before turning 30 years of age.

The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Cancer Institute has said experiments on mice with ultra-violet devices had shown their use could cause skin and eye cancer.

The US Cancer Society has recommended that people use self-tanning creams instead of ultra-violet devices.

St. Pölten dermatologist Franz Trautinger said today: "People, above all youths, who often visit solariums have a substantially higher risk of getting skin cancer, sometimes as high as 75 per cent."

Solarium industry figures rejected the claims and say there is no link between responsible use of solariums and skin cancer.

Harald Slauschek, a spokesman for the Lower Austrian solarium industry, said it was unfair to ban youths from solariums considering they could drive and vote at age 16. He added: "We decisively reject the claim that solariums cause skin cancer."

Austrian Times

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