Welcome to sunbedban.com

I am Jay Allen and I am a melanoma survivor.

BREAKING NEWS  4th February 2012. Sunbeds banned in NSW, Australia !!!

This decision is not only for myself but to all those who have lost their fight to melanoma and to those who are fighting this insidious disease. I would like to think Clare Oliver is looking down from heaven with a smile on her face...

View official Media release:

My surgeon is adamant that my sunbed use contributed to my diagnosis of stage 3 melanoma in February 2008, and this spurred me to initiate www.sunbedban.com and increase public knowledge and awareness about the inherent risks associated with sunbed use. I have written countless letters, snet emails, made phone calls, had many meetings with politicians and held numerous awareness days throughout NSW since December 2008. I came close to successfully achieving a ban on sunbeds in 2010 when Frank Sartor, the former Minister for Cancer and the Environment agreed to introduce legislation banning users under 30. However, disappointingly, I received an email from the Environment Climate Change and Water (ECCW) Department just 2 days before the 2011 State election reporting that the proposed changes to regulations would not eventuate. 

For myself and our supporters of the campaign it was devastating.
The ECCW did an audit last year of 89 registered solariums and 87 failed to comply with the regulations; warnings were issued but I believe this is just not good enough. Young Australians are continuing to regularly use sunbeds thereby increasing their chances of developing skin cancers; in particular deadly melanoma. A recent Australian study published in the International Journal of Cancer reported that 76% of melanomas in sunbed users aged 20-29 years were caused by their solarium use. It also showed that sunbed use is associated with increased risk of early-onset melanoma, with risk increasing with greater use. The earlier the age at first use the earlier the onset of disease. The government would save money through the health system in the long run if a ban was put in place.

As long as we do not have a ban, many young people will use sunbeds and a large number will end up with melanomas. For many, that means a death sentence.
I have lived and breathed this campaign for a long time now and I have had many knock backs, and critics saying “You will never achieve what you are trying to do”, " It cannot be done".  One radio breakfast announcer said, “You cannot close down Bondi Beach so you will never close down sunbeds” and even suggesting that I give up this fight - This only made me more determined!  I will not stop until a ban is in place! 

LATEST NEWS - 9 Sept 2011 -   I have been appointed on the Advisory Committee for Skin Cancer Prevention NSW. Health Minister Jillian Skinner has said with my input I may achieve my ban this way. So I think it’s a huge step in the right direction. I have since had numerous positive meetings with the Minister of Environment Robyn Parker. It does show the Government is taking this issue really seriously and they should be applauded.

Hopefully a ban on sunbeds in NSW is not to far away.

Jay Allen