Welcome to sunbedban.com

My surgeon Dr Michael Quinn of Melanoma Institute Australia is adamant that my sunbed use contributed to my diagnosis of stage 3 melanoma in February 2008 which spurred me to initiate (Sunbedban.com) and increase public knowledge and awareness about the inherent risks associated with sunbed use. I have written countless letters, 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 sun-beds in 2010 when Frank Sartor, the former minister for both 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) 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. Sunbed use is a completely avoidable but increasingly prevalent risk behaviour which has been shown to cause skin cancer. 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 I have had many knockbacks, criticism saying you will never acheive what you are trying to do, " It can not be done ".  One from a highly respected radio breakfast announcer saying you can not 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 can maybe achieve my ban this way.  So I think its a huge step in the right direction. Hopefully a ban on sunbeds in NSW is not to far away. The NSW Government needs to be applauded for taking this issue serious.     

Jay Allen