Tanning beds are strangely legal in Northern Ireland, says expert

An Australian dermatologist has said it is “outrageous” that tanning beds are not banned in Northern Ireland when they are banned in other parts of the world, despite their potential to lead to skin cancer.

Jim Muir said tanning salons were known to increase the risk of melanoma “very significantly”.

It has been banned in Australia for over 10 years.

Belfast has been dubbed the “tanning bed capital of the UK” with data showing that 37% of the city's adults use tanning beds.

A study by the charity Melanoma Focus found that Melanoma skin cancer on the rise in the UK.

Mr Muir spoke to BBC News NI during a visit to Northern Ireland about his experience working in Australia, the “melanoma capital of the world”.

“Going to a tanning salon is insanity. Total insanity,” he said, adding that going to a tanning salon exposes you to ultraviolet (UV) rays that can cause premature aging and cancer.

Mr Muir joked that while in Australia you “can get melanoma or skin cancer for free just by going outside”, tanning bed users in Northern Ireland “have to pay”.

One self-described “sunbather” who developed skin cancer told BBC News that not enough is being done to warn people about the risks of melanoma.

“Think about how little we know about smoking and cancer,” says Lynn Stevensen.

“The risk of cancer from tanning beds and not protecting yourself from the sun is just as real, but I don't think we're doing enough about it.”

The Public Health Agency (PHA) Skin cancer accounts for more than 30% of cancers detected in Northern Ireland and is usually caused by exposure to ultraviolet light.

Skin cancer is divided into two types: melanoma and non-melanoma.

Melanoma is a type that can spread to other parts of the body. The most common sign is the appearance of a new mole or a change in an existing mole.

This can occur anywhere on the body, but most commonly occurs on the back, legs, arms, and face.

Most often, melanomas are irregularly shaped and multicolored.

They may also grow larger than normal moles and may itch and bleed.

According to figures from the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, there are around 400 cases of melanoma each year in Northern Ireland and an average of 60 deaths.

Non-melanoma skin cancer is more common and usually less serious: figures suggest that there are an average of just under 4,000 cases per year, with around 1% of those resulting in death.

Factors that increase the chance of developing melanoma include age, fair skin, having many moles, and a family history of skin cancer.

However, the main cause is exposure to ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun and used by sunbeds.

Lynn Stevensen is a “self-confessed sun worshipper” who admits that getting a tan “ironically made me feel healthier.”

She recalled that in the summer of 2023, she was sitting in her garden when she noticed a new mole on her knee.

The pharmacist, Lin, ABCDE ChecklistIt can be used to assess the difference between a normal mole and a malignant melanoma.

Then that night, she saw a tweet from Action Cancer. New Skin Cancer Detection Service – and “I thought the universe was trying to tell me something.”

When she was diagnosed with melanoma, Lin said she was “completely shocked” because she had never suffered from painful sunburns when she went out in the sun.

Her cancer was caught early and has not spread, and while she used to use tanning beds, she now adds that “fake tan and SPF 50 cream are the rules of my life.”

“When I look at the number of people using tanning beds in Northern Ireland, I want to speak to them and say: ‘I’m just like you, I never thought it would happen to me, I never thought there was a risk.

“I understand the point, because a tan does give you a healthy glow, but again, when it was causing cancer, it was far from healthy.”

The most common symptom is the appearance of new moles or changes to existing moles.

The mole may change in color, shape, or size, and it may become painful or itchy.

The NHS also advises people to visit their GP if they notice any new or unusual marks on their skin that do not go away after a few weeks.

Asymmetry: the two halves have different shapes

Boundary: Irregular or jagged edges

Color: uneven/mottled, black, white, gray, brown, pink shades, more than two colors = suspicious

Diameter: At least 6 mm for most melanomas

Evolution: Changes in size, shape, and color

“Weird”: If it looks strange or you don't like it for any reason, get it checked out

In 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified exposure to UV sunlamps, sunbeds and tanning salons as possibly carcinogenic.

That same year, Brazil became the first country to ban cosmetic tanning beds, and Australia banned commercial tanning beds in 2013.

Tanning beds are banned in Northern Ireland for people under 18, but for Australian dermatologist Muir, this isn't enough.

“If it's not safe for under 18s, it's not safe for over 18s.

“Sometimes you have to protect people from themselves. There are speed limits, there are seat belts, there are helmets.”

“It is illogical to expose ourselves to carcinogens that can be avoided, and potent carcinogens that cause cancer.”

The Health Ministry said it had “no immediate plans to ban tanning beds.”

“However, future regulatory action on tanning beds has not been ruled out as the Department of Health's Skin Cancer Prevention Strategy aims to reduce the incidence of skin cancer.”

You can reduce the risk by taking precautions in the sun, such as avoiding sunbeds and tanning salons and using sunscreen and reapplying it regularly.

There are also resources like Action Cancer's skin cancer detection service, which launched in April 2023.

Iona McCormack, the charity's senior skin cancer specialist nurse, said they had “detected over 100 cases of skin cancer” since the initiative began, including 12 to 14 cases of malignant melanoma.

She said this is a “fairly high” figure and not one she had initially expected.

“Unfortunately, we have seen people delay seeking treatment during the pandemic and have since realised that patients may be hesitant to bother with their GP,” she said.

“I think we've gained more customers than we thought we would because I think people are looking at this as an alternative service.”