Is Ireland's Proposed Tanning Ban Unfair to Fair Skinned?

Although it's only one day in March, St. Patrick's Day has me thinking about Irish culture for the entire month. And with the beginning of Spring, there's just too much green outside to keep me from thinking of Ireland. Of course, Spring also has a lot of people contemplating how they're going to work off the "winter weight" and "winter white" so they can be tanned and in shape for the beach this Summer. For those of us with naturally fair skin, getting that perfect summer tan can be quite the challenge. Which brings me to an article I came across from Independent.ie.

Earlier this month, the Irish Cancer Society began pushing for new legislation that would ban fair skinned people from using tanning beds because, "if they don't tan under the sun, they wouldn't with a bed or lamp". To further support their oh-so-scientific reasoning in favor of such a ban, the group's Health Promotion officer went on to say that "75 percent of Irish people fall into two types of skin categories".

And the two categories are - pale and paler still.

Of course, these so called "reasons" have little to do with the alleged dangers associated with sunless tanning. In their own words, what it really comes down to is that they "don't want anyone using sunbeds". Stop and think about that for a moment. According to the Irish Cancer Society, 3/4 of the nearly 5 million people living in Ireland are either fair or fairer skinned and should be banned from being any shade darker than a white sheet of 8.5 x 11 printer paper. So much for Phil Lynott.

Statue of Irish rock guitarist, Phil Lynott, at Bruxelles on Harry Street, Dublin.

Furthermore, if the Irish Cancer Society does indeed believe that fair skinned people don't get a tan from the sun, tanning bed, or lamp, then why seek to pass a law banning fair skinned people from getting a tan from a tanning bed?! It also seems laughable that the ban is focused on keeping pale people from tanning, but not those who are already tan, (i.e. the ones that tan frequently in the first place). That's like advocating a law to ban non-smokers from smoking. And is tanning really such a crime? By their line of reasoning, it's a wonder that any fair-skinned Irish people have survived a day of being outside on a sunny day. So much for that part of the old Irish blessing, "may the sun shine warm upon your face".

Fortunately, there's hope for us "fair-skinners" seeking a touch of sun - indoor tanning lotion. Haute Couture by Devoted Creations is a silky, rich tanning lotion that's specially formulated with a powerful blend of antioxidants, botanicals, and tanning boosters known as "Mela-Glow", to help those with fair skin get a deep, dark tan without burning or damaging their skin. In fact, Haute Couture has 14x silicone emulsion to moisturize your skin, and healthy, natural ingredients such as; coconut oil, ginger root extract, rosemary leaf oil, aloe vera gel, Vitamin B2, and Vitamin B5 to enhance your tan and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Now, that's a pretty "fair" way to get a great tan!