New AU Campaign against solariums launched

[Ezliving_Jim]

Campaign against solariums launched
Nov 12, 2007 4:23 PM


Australians are being told that no tan is worth dying for, following the launch of a new campaign to highlight the dangers of using solariums.

The advertising campaign, which is a joint initiative of the Victorian government and the Cancer Council, was launched today in Melbourne by Victorian Health Minister Daniel Andrews.

He said that with the official start of summer three weeks away, Victorians needed to be sun smart and aware of the risks of using solariums.

There was still a perception by some members of the community that a tan was a sign of good health, he said.

"It isn't, no tan is worth dying for," Mr Andrews said today.

"The campaign, Solariums: Fashion to Die For, targets the fashion conscious and makes people aware of the increased risk of skin cancer from using solariums," he said.

"The campaign materials will be distributed to beauty salons, fitness and sport centres, pharmacies, community health centres, GPs, tertiary institutions and secondary schools.

"This is important while final work is done to regulations for the solarium industry, regulations that will require solarium operators to be licensed with the Department of Human Services and to display health warnings."

Under regulations to be in place by the end of this year, it will also be illegal for anyone under the age of 16 to use a solarium, and 16- and 17-year-olds would only be able to use a solarium with parental consent.

Mr Andrews also used the launch to pay tribute to the late Melbourne woman Clare Oliver, whose story raised awareness of the dangers of solariums and skin cancer.

Clare, 26, went public with her fight against skin cancer, which she said was caused by using solariums, just weeks before she died in September this year.

"Clare's story and the new regulations will save lives," he said.

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