John
06-10-2010, 05:08 PM
Sunbeds in Northern Ireland should be banned to help save lives, nurses have said.
They should not be available for sale or hire for private use and are unnecessary for cosmetic purposes, the Royal College of Nurses (RCN) added when they gave evidence to Stormont's health committee.
Director Janice Smyth said: "Many RCN members, particularly those working in cancer services who see the tragic consequences of sunbed use urged the RCN to campaign for an outright ban and that is still their position and still indeed our long-term goal."
Ulster Unionist MLA Sam Gardiner was forceful: "If you expect to take a bed from someone who is dying from cancer the cost to the health service and the people deprived of getting a bed in comparison with someone who has had to get this and brought it on themselves I don't think they deserve first class treatment."
The committee is considering the Sunbed Bill which is expected to become law later this year.
It would prohibit an operator of sunbed premises from allowing a sunbed to be used unsupervised, force an operator to provide the user with written information on health risks and prohibit an operator from making unproven claims attributing health benefits.
It would also ensure an operator provides protective eyewear, force an operator to guarantee that any person who allows a person to use a sunbed on those premises is trained to a certain standard and force an operator to ensure sunbeds adhere to certain technical standards.
Ms Smyth said cancer nurses held very strong views. "There is a body of evidence now to say that the use of sunbeds certainly increases the incidence of the risk," she warned.
Committee chairman Jim Wells queried whether a ban would drive the industry underground. "If you ban it completely don't you run the risk of people obtaining sunbeds from the Irish Republic or somewhere else?" he asked.
Skin cancer is the most common form of the disease in Northern Ireland and Health Minister Michael McGimpsey has said the Bill should ensure the industry was properly regulated.
They should not be available for sale or hire for private use and are unnecessary for cosmetic purposes, the Royal College of Nurses (RCN) added when they gave evidence to Stormont's health committee.
Director Janice Smyth said: "Many RCN members, particularly those working in cancer services who see the tragic consequences of sunbed use urged the RCN to campaign for an outright ban and that is still their position and still indeed our long-term goal."
Ulster Unionist MLA Sam Gardiner was forceful: "If you expect to take a bed from someone who is dying from cancer the cost to the health service and the people deprived of getting a bed in comparison with someone who has had to get this and brought it on themselves I don't think they deserve first class treatment."
The committee is considering the Sunbed Bill which is expected to become law later this year.
It would prohibit an operator of sunbed premises from allowing a sunbed to be used unsupervised, force an operator to provide the user with written information on health risks and prohibit an operator from making unproven claims attributing health benefits.
It would also ensure an operator provides protective eyewear, force an operator to guarantee that any person who allows a person to use a sunbed on those premises is trained to a certain standard and force an operator to ensure sunbeds adhere to certain technical standards.
Ms Smyth said cancer nurses held very strong views. "There is a body of evidence now to say that the use of sunbeds certainly increases the incidence of the risk," she warned.
Committee chairman Jim Wells queried whether a ban would drive the industry underground. "If you ban it completely don't you run the risk of people obtaining sunbeds from the Irish Republic or somewhere else?" he asked.
Skin cancer is the most common form of the disease in Northern Ireland and Health Minister Michael McGimpsey has said the Bill should ensure the industry was properly regulated.