The real housewives of the Palazzo Versace and a rare breed of solariums native to Queensland are facing ultraviolet extinction (that’s actually a thing in science) in the next couple of months after the State Government’s ban on sun beds and stand-up tanning machines becomes effective on January 1st 2013.
The ban comes after studies revealed what we’ve long suspected: sun bed are dangerous machines that pose the risk of burns, scarring and skin cancer in their users, who often find use of tanning products addictive. Also, Queensland is already sunny enough, are you kidding me, you don’t need to use sun beds.
The ABC are reporting that Premier Campbell Newman has slowly been phasing out solariums over the past few months by giving them the cold shoulder and not returning their calls. Newman ultimately plans to never speak to them again, saying, “The existing solariums have established themselves under the law at the time they are legitimate businesses, but as equipment breaks [ed. note: like their hearts] it won’t be able to be replaced.
That is the fair way to ultimately see people transition out of the industry, because it is ultimately a risk in terms of skin cancer.” Ultimately.
Opposition health spokeswoman Joanne Miller echoed Premier Newman’s calls, and maintained that compensation for the soon to be out of business solarium operators was not an option as “People within the industry [should have realised] that they have been phasing this industry out and they should be well aware that Queensland would obviously follow suit.”
New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia will implement complete bans on commercial sun beds by the end of 2014.
If you own a sun-bed in Queensland then sorry I’m not sorry for your loss. You can find some extremely helpful advice about what to do next here.
Best of luck in your new ventures and/or dentures.
via The ABC
