Tony ReederIn the meantime, United States and Australian research indicate the cost of treating skin cancer has risen dramatically. In this context, the Ministry of Health’s investment of $600,000 a year in skin cancer prevention activities by the Health Promotion Agency is pitiful. One relatively simple step, advocated by Consumer NZ and supported by all who work in skin cancer prevention, should be to stop the promotion and sale of sunbeds, as in Australia. There is convincing evidence that institutional and community-wide intervention programmes can improve sun protective practices and are a cost-effective investment for reducing skin cancer. NZ could and should lead the world in skin cancer prevention rather than in disease statistics.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 25, 2018 16:41 UTC