Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has announced that commercial sunbed 'happy hours', and 'unlimited' or 'free' use of sunbeds, won't be permitted from March 2 in an effort to reduce skin cancer. Users will be required to wear protective eyewear and won't be able to use sunbeds without supervision, in order to minimise damage to their skin and eyes. New hygiene standards will be put in place. The new regulations will also require sunbed business owners to display warning signs, provide information on the risks, and ban health claims. "The more that someone uses a sunbed, the higher the risk they will get skin cancer. The incidence of skin cancer is increasing faster than any other type. More than 850 new cases of melanoma are reported in Ireland each year, with 150 Irish people dying annually. So this phase of sunbed measures is all about making sure that adults know the risks," Minister Varadkar said. "More and more evidence is emerging that using a sunbed without protective eyewear can damage the eye and potentially cause cancers. These new measures will ensure that protective eyewear which meets safety standards is used," he added. The new regulations comprise the second phase of measures under the Public Health (Sunbeds) Act. The first phase was introduced last year with the ban on under-18s using sunbeds. The new provisions will be enforced by HSE Environmental Health Officers and penalties will apply. Sunbed businesses will also be required to notify the HSE which will establish a list of notified sunbed businesses. For more visit www.businessworld.ie