Awareness plea of sun bed dangers

THE French Academy of Medicine has reissued warnings over the dangers of using sun beds saying skin cancer cases have doubled in the past 10 years.

It comes as an annual national day of screening takes place, with skin specialists across the country giving free and anonymous examinations to patients who go to screening centres put in place for the day.

The academy claims the risks are “undeniable” and that public bodies are not doing enough to warn people about the dangers.

Dr Claudine Blanchet-Bardon, vice-president of union the Syndicat national des dermato-vénérologues said: “Public authorities need to lead campaigns, in the same way as those against smoking, and make information available and get it across to warn of the dangers of UV sun beds.”

Some 40,000 sun beds are open to the public in France, and the Academy said their use “can be promoted on TV or in cinema without any unfavourable opinion from media regulatory body the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel.”

The Academy added that exposure to UVA and UVB rays has been largely proved responsible for the upsurge in skin cancers which it said has doubled in ten years.

To find a centre taking part in the annual day of free screenings ( depistages) visit www.syndicatdermatos.org and click on Journée de la depistage des cancers de la peau, then cliquez ici.

For more information call the Cancer Info Service on 0810 0810 821.