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Dermatologist likens sunbeds to cigarettes

Dermatologist likens sunbeds to cigarettes

A consultant dermatologist says the correlation between sunbeds and skin cancer is equivalent to the link between cigarettes and lung cancer.

A new report from NUI Galway and the Institute of Public Health found that 90 percent of school children have been sunburned once in their life.

While 3 percent of 10 to 17 year olds had used a sunbed in the last 12 months, despite a ban on children using them.

"We know that sunbeds are an absolute no-no" said Dr Rupert Barry, who says the sunbed industry claiming that sunbeds don't cause skin cancer is the same as cigarette companies claiming that their products didn't cause lung cancer in the past.

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"They definitely increase the levels of skin cancer".

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