Irish Cancer Society: Sun bed use raises risk of melanoma by a fifth
New laws restricting the use of sunbeds come into force today.
The Irish Cancer Society has welcomed the new legislation, which bans "happy hours" and free use of sunbeds, and requires customers to use protective eyewear.
It says that if a person uses a sun bed at all their risk of developing a melanoma increases by 20%.
The Irish Cancer Society's health promotion officer, Rosemary Scott, says that is a worrying statistic.
She said: "If it's caught on time it can be successfully treated, but you know one of the problems is that many people don't spot it if you don't notice it.
"Even though it's often a mole that appears on your skin - or a change to an existing mole".
"So it's about really not putting yourself at risk of something that can potentially cause a disease that can be fatal."
