Greens welcome Minister’s assurance of sunbed review

The Green Party welcomes the Health Minister’s assurance that he will be seeking Ministry of Health advice on the issue of sunbed safety and regulation, Green Party Health Spokesperson Sue Kedgley says.

Today, in response to an oral question, Pete Hodgson said that he agrees with the Green Party’s concern over the lack of information on, or regulation of, the use of the sunbeds, which have been shown by the World Health Organisation to increase the risk of skin cancer by up to 75 percent.

Ms Kedgely says: “The Government must now prove that it will offer more than assurances, and demonstrate that it takes this issue seriously - actions speak louder than words. The safety of New Zealand’s young men and women is being endangered every day, with voluntary standards routinely ignored by some members of the sunbed industry.

“While we welcome Mr Hodgson’s expression of concern, his statement that an education campaign may be sufficient to address this issue, is clearly not informed by the reality or seriousness of situation.

“Mr Hodgson must recognise that some members of the sunbed industry choose not to present correct information to their clients. In fact, some even claim that sunbeds are a safe and harmless way to get a tan, even though they can produce UV rays five times stronger than the midday summer sun.

“The Green Party looks forward to the Ministry of Health’s report and recommendations for the solarium industry, which we are confident will support the case for enforceable regulations for the use of sunbeds.”