Irish tanning salons are encouraging young girls to use the sunbeds, an investigation has revealed.
An undercover study by the Irish Cancer Society revealed a 17-year-old girl was urged to use the beds by all the shops she visited.
The fair-skinned teenager went to a number of well-known salons and was not asked for her age or identification in any of them.
Despite her very pale skin, the Irish Cancer Society said staff did not advise the young girl about the dangers of using sunbeds in the survey of seven different businesses.
Research shows that the risk of developing melanoma jumps up 75 per cent for people who regularly use sunbeds under the age of 35.
However, this girl was advised to visit the salon three times a week to look good for a wedding in October.
She was also told her that she would need to use the tanning salon more often because of the pale nature of her skin. The girl was encouraged to start tanning immediately and to buy a package deal so she would get more sessions for her money.
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in Ireland and the latest statistics show that more than 8,000 people are diagnosed every year.
Kathleen O’Meara, head of communications at the Irish Cancer Society, said; “The survey reveals that without regulation, children and people with fair skin are being actively encouraged to use the sunbeds by unscrupulous operators who care little about the health implications of the tanning units.
“Our survey found children are being encouraged to use sunbeds at intervals as short as 18 hours between sessions.
“We are extremely concerned that without regulation that would prevent under-18s and those with Type 1 and Type 2 skin [very fair skin] from using sunbeds, a dangerous industry remains unchecked and those people at most risk from skin cancer are not being protexted.”
Research published in 2010 shows that almost 140,000 people in Ireland use sunbeds regularly.
But now, new legislation will make it illegal for businesses to allow under-18s to use the beds.
