Health advocates are urging the State Government to get on with banning commercial tanning beds after Health Minister Kim Hames conceded yesterday it was proving “more difficult” than he had first thought.
Dr Hames had previously made clear his intentions to outlaw commercial tanning but he told State Parliament yesterday that the Government was yet to make a final decision and he had concerns that some solarium operators would face significant financial implications.
He said a proposal was in its final stages and would be taken to Cabinet soon.
“It is my firm view that it needs to be done – there is a significant risk to health,” Dr Hames said.
“If or when we are to ban these, we need to make sure that we don’t adversely affect individuals who in good faith followed the current laws which allowed them to have those tanning beds.
“I need to take it to my colleagues to see what direction they want to go.”
WA is the only State that is yet to outlaw commercial tanning. Cancer Council WA director of education and research Terry Slevin said the Government had two options – join the rest of the country and ban commercial sun beds or be the only State that allowed people to pay for the “privilege” of boosting their skin cancer risk.
“Every other jurisdiction in Australia has managed to tackle this issue,” he said.
“I would be extraordinarily surprised if any of the challenges that we face in Western Australia are meaningfully different from the challenges that have been met in other jurisdictions.
“This is a very obvious choice for the State Government. To stand apart from the rest of the country on this issue would be the most extraordinary of choices.”
Australian Medical Association WA president Michael Gannon said the banning of commercial tanning was “long overdue” and it was time for Dr Hames to act.
Shadow health minister Roger Cook said there had been a question mark over sun beds for a long time so he would question any operator who had made a decision to invest in them in recent years.
Mr Cook said the Government should look at compensating solarium operators, as had been done in Queensland.