Norway’s left-center government coalition wants to limit solarium visits to those over age 18, in an effort to reduce the risk of skin cancer. A leading opposition politician has bashed the proposed ban, claiming the government is going too far.
“What’s next?” queries Siv Jensen of the Progress Party, which currently has the most voter support according to a recent public opinion poll. “Sun patrol police? Limiting the number of trips people can take to the south?”
Health Minister Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen claims it’s important to reduce skin cancer rates inflated by “over-exaggerated tanning,” especially by young people. She pointed to international research that links solarium visits to higher cancer risks in minors. An 18-year age limit will send a “clear signal,” she said, that too much solarium use can damage one’s health.
Jensen isn’t buying it. She thinks the government has “more important things to do” than impose age restrictions on solariums, the owners of which also are voicing objections.
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