Australian Medical Association president Steve Robson said he had thought the country had matured past the era of extreme sun exposure.
using questionable scientific claims and social media videos and images encouraging hours of UV exposure to sell their products.
“We’ve seen all the misery from skin cancer in this country … I thought we were past this and having these messages go back out again is just really disappointing,” Robson said.Videos and images on social media celebrate young women heading out into the sun when the UV is very high, glamourise extreme tan lines and show results after two or three hours spent lying in the sun.
Robson said the Australian Medical Association would support any government regulation that puts the kibosh on tanning product advertising, arguing it was patently dangerous to public health and preyed on people’s vulnerabilities and insecurities. “We’ve got ... vulnerable young people who might be susceptible to this advertising, and I would genuinely hate for people to be in my shoes.Chris Hopkins“I wasn’t someone that actively tried to tan. When I was a teenager, I had tried a few times, but I just didn’t have the skin tone for it. But I do look back and regret. I know those moments where I just haven’t been sun smart.”
Meta, owner of Instagram, said it would not comment on the company’s policy of running ads for suntanning products or its approach to images and videos that glamorise tans and tan lines. Several paid Instagram posts claim to show off suntanning results after hours in the sun.for tan boosters and accelerators. A spokesperson said the company actively removes concerning and dangerous content associated with hashtags such as #sunburnchallenge and #tanning.
The Albanese government recently invested $7.3 million in a new campaign with Cancer Council Australia to “End the Trend” of suntanning among young people, citing statistics showing almost three quarters of young Australians think they’re unlikely to get skin cancer.“Businesses must make sure that statements on social media are true, accurate and can be proven.