Removing access to commercial source of UV exposure is feasible, effective health policy and highly economical for government

June 30, 2020

Abstract

Objective: To quantify the consequences of a total ban on indoor tanning for short-term regulatory enforcement, for consumers, and the longer-term health economic effects.

Methods: Instances of illegal solarium prosecutions and tanning bed confiscations in the state of Victoria (population 7 million) were obtained from government surveillance records. Consumer interest for indoor tanning and spray/fake tanning were assessed using Google Trends’ Search Volume Index (range 0 to maximum 100). Long-term health economic effects were estimated using a Markov cohort model.

Results: The Victorian Government completed 13 prosecutions and confiscated 39 illegal tanning units. Consumer interest for indoor tanning reduced to less than one quarter of pre-regulation seasonal peaks (Search Volume Index 12/48) while spray tanning interest remained high (70–88). For young Australians over their remaining lives, banning commercial indoor tanning is expected to avert 31,009 melanomas (−3.7%), avert 468,249 keratinocyte cancers (−3.6%) and save over AU$64 (US$47) million in healthcare costs and produce over AU$516 (US$375) million in productivity gains. 

Conclusions: Three years after the nationwide ban, regulation enforcement activities have decreased, and consumers have adopted substitute tanning methods.

Source:

Louisa G. Gordon, Craig Sinclair, Noel Cleaves, Jennifer K. Makin, Astrid J. Rodriguez-Acevedo, Adèle C. Green, Consequences of banning commercial solaria in 2016 in Australia, Health Policy, Volume 124, Issue 6, 2020, Pages 665-670, ISSN 0168-8510, 
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2020.04.010.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168851020300956?dgcid=coauthor