Sunbed Ass Fights Back: Irish salons disagree with WHO, IARC on sunbed issue...

Anyone vaguely interested in tanning and the dangers associated with sunbeds will know all about the recent WHO report on skin cancer risk. Cathyfly told us about it a couple of weeks ago and if you pick up this month's copy of Image you'll see that I'm singing from the same hymn sheet.

So I was not surprised when a mad email defending the use of sunbeds dropped into my inbox this week. Subject line: SUNBED ASS FIGHTS BACK. From a salon that makes money from sunbeds of course. Now you've no idea how many mad emails we receive at Beaut.ie and normally we just click 'delete' and they never see the light of day again.

The main defense of sunbed use seemed to come from badly written press releases from the Sunlight Research Association which claims that sunbed use is perfectly safe. However two seconds of investigation revealed that the SRA represents thousands of indoor tanning manufacturers, distributors, facility owners and members from other support industries throughout Europe

Hardly impartial so. The head of the Irish Cancer Control Programme and our Minister for Health have both come out in favour of banning these contraptions (read about it here), and while sunbed tanning may be safe when properly regulated, the stark fact is that it hardly ever is. Legislation is being prepared to protect those most at risk - under 18s are in most danger of skin damage.

So listen sun bed tanning booth people - you're going to have to come up with something better than made up reports and mad emails. Forget Sunbed Ass fights back. Try this one: Ass fights back.