NZ, progressive country that it is – talk women voting, legalised gay marriage (way before Australia), well this country still hasn’t banned tanning beds.

Tanning beds. Sunbeds.

There’s a reason why you have to wear goggles. Why you have to be over 18 to use a sunbed. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the Cancer division of The World Health Organisation have classified tanning beds as ‘carcinogenic to humans’ – and in the highest risk cancer category. A category that also includes tobacco, asbestos and arsenic.+

With so many products out there on the market designed to create that ‘healthy glow’ we are all looking for, natural products such as the Arbonne range, how on earth can sunbeds still be legal?

The just released skin cancer study by derma. plus showed almost 2500 new melanoma cases were diagnosed in New Zealand every year.

Melanoma.

Its a scary word.

A friend of mine recently went to MoleMap for a regular check up. She had a spot on her nose. It was a tiny little thing, no one really knew it was there. She did, but wasn’t too concerned. MoleMap thought she should have it checked. It’s been removed, plus a radius around it, there’s been involvement with a plastic surgeon and a skin graph. A week off work and the stress of waiting for the results. Fortunately it was benign.

She was lucky.

Cancer doesn’t rest.

Cancer doesn’t discriminate.

Ban the bed I say.

Join the movement #bansunbedsnz

+International Agency for Research on Cancer Monograph Working Group (2009). Special Report: Policy. A review of human carcinogens Part D: radiation. Lancet Oncology online. Vol 10