Irish Cancer Society welcomes ban on tanning happy hours and unlimited use saying sunbeds are as carcinogenic as tobacco or plutonium The Irish Cancer society has welcomed the new health and safety regulations on the use of sunbeds will come into affect from from March 2nd.
The updated regulations were announced by Health Minister, Leo Varadkar on Monday and will see commercial sunbed ‘happy hours’, and 'unlimited' or 'free' use of sunbeds by tanning and beauty salons banned in an effort to reduce skin cancer. Kathleen O’Meara, spokesperson for the Irish Cancer Society said the group would advise everybody against sunbed use, and that it was vital that young people who are most at risk were protected. “These new regulations highlight the dangers of sunbed use for everyone, whatever your age or skin type. Sunbed use is as carcinogenic as tobacco or plutonium," she said. "It is our hope that this legislation will mark a turning point in attitudes to using sunbeds in Ireland," she added. Minister Varadkar said the regulations were designed to "make sure that adults know the risks". “More and more evidence is emerging that using a sunbed without protective eyewear can damage the eye and potentially cause cancers. These new measures will ensure that protective eyewear which meets safety standards is used,”he said. RESTRICTIONS The changes will add further restrictions on sunbed use, following on from the then health minister, Dr James Reilly's ban on under 18s using them. The measures come under the Public Health (Sunbeds) Act. HIGH RISK Sunbeds are classified as a group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Regular use can cause melanoma skin cancer, one of the most common causes of cancer in Ireland, with more than 850 new cases of melanoma each year. More than 150 Irish people die each year from melanoma. SIGNAGE The new regulations will mean that sunbed shops and business that offer their use will have to display warning signs for patrons and provide information on the risks involved with their use. They must also refrain from posting any health claims. People who still use sunbeds will now have to wear protective eyewear by law, and won’t be able to use sunbeds without supervision. It's also understood that new rules regarding hygiene standards are to be put in place. Health Minister says situation in Ireland's emergency departments is worse than this time last year.The Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar has promised a renewed effort to tackle overcrowding in Ireland's emergency departments, after admitting to the media that the current situation was worse than this time last year.
"I would now like to see the Emergency Department Taskforce Action Plan completed as soon as possible and put into operation without delay,” Minister Varadkar said. He outlined a number of measures aimed at tackling the ongoing problem, including extra beds and recruitment of frontline staff. TRANSITIONAL CARE BEDS Mr Varadkar said 250 transitional care beds came on line this month, thats in addition to the 500 beds in private nursing homes that were introduced in January. These beds will be used to free up space in acute hospitals. A further 173 short stay beds will be utilised for a period of three months to deal with extra hospital admissions, due to the current flu virus. RECRUITMENT The minister also said that arrangements are in place in the HSE to recruit frontline staff where it has been established that there is an urgent service requirement. New posts are expected to come on line at hospitals in Dublin, Limerick, Drogheda and Naas. MEDIA CAMPAIGN It's also understood that the HSE will be running a media campaign to encourage members of the public to use minor injury units and local injury units, instead of clogging up emergency departments. OTHER ACTIONS In his statement, Mr Varadkar also said that patients with private health insurance will be diverted to private hospitals where consultants have admitting right , and patients who have been medically stabilised will be transferred to other hospitals that manage patients requiring non-complex care. All non-urgent elective cases will continue to be deferred, to retain focus on emergency departments. Our thoughts and prayers are with Brian's family and friends, and all his classmates and colleagues from the Journalism course at the University of Limerick.
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My Purple ChairThe My Purple Chair title was born from my favourite place to sit and think about what's happening in the world. It's old but comfortable. So i suppose it's a bit like myself! Archives
March 2016
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