Social media push of “healthy” tanning is step back to the deadly old days

The AMA is calling for restrictions on social media posts pushing a harmful message about tanning. The messaging harks back to the bad old days of using sun tanning accelerators and false claims that sun exposure and tanning are healthy.

AMA President Professor Steve Robson told media this week it was terrible that young Australians were being exposed to false social media claims that it is a “great thing” to get a tan.

“It’s like a time warp to a dangerous era,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald. “And it’s doing my head in that this sort of tanning culture and these products are designed to entice people back to the bad old days.

“We have 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.”

Professor Robson said a comeback of tanning oils and false promotion by influencers of “healthy” tanning on social media could be difficult to ban.

“I think we should do everything we can to make sure Australians are not getting the message that sun exposure and tanning is healthy – that is a bad message,” he told Seven News in Melbourne.

“I am old enough to remember the slip, slop, slap messages and maybe it’s time that we brought back some sort of campaign like that again to just remind young Australians that there is nothing healthy about a tan.”