Solariums will be banned in NSW from 2014 because of fear they cause melanomas. The ban on commercial ultraviolet (UV) solaria tanning units in NSW will come into effect from December 31, 2014 – to give tanning businesses time to adjust. Environment Minister Robyn Parker will announce the proposal, which will affect 103 solariums in NSW.

“Solaria use is associated with a range of skin cancers, including melanoma, which is the most life-threatening form of skin cancer and the most common form of skin cancer among 15- to 39-year-olds,” Ms Parker said. Ms Parker described the ban as “long overdue”.
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Children watching AFL on Saturdays may be inspired to join the game but they are also being bombarded with the highest number of advertisements for food containing high levels of fat, salt and sugar. The timeslot on Channel Ten has topped a list of more than 100 TV programs for showing the highest number of junk food ads, collated by the Fat Free TV Guide website, launched by the Cancer Council today. Read More>

Tell the TV Networks that saturating our kids with junk has to stop

The risk of death from prostate cancer nearly doubles in men who have put on 20 kilograms or more in their adult life, new Australian research has found. The paper, published in the International Journal of Cancer, shows an increase in body weight during a man’s adult life is associated with an increased risk of suffering an aggressive form of prostate cancer and of dying from prostate cancer. Read more >

View the new Cancer Council Infographic to learn about the real facts: what causes cancer and how to prevent it

Enduring cancer treatment is hard enough without the extra stress of hospital parking fees and fines.But that hasn’t stopped NSW hospitals charging thousands of cancer patients who are already pushed to breaking point both emotionally and financially.
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Take Action Now! Have your say about parking for cancer patients

NSW cabinet is considering a proposal to stub out alfresco smoking across the state. Local governments in the city and the bush have put forward the proposal to make a uniform law out of what they say is a patchwork of conflicting rules across jurisdictions. Councils have labelled current bans as sporadic, and say the “inconsistency is a catalyst for confusion and angst: among both the smoking and not smoking population”. Read More>

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Westmead Hospital is to introduce a permit system in the cancer centre carpark, a move that should put an end to the long walks and long waits that cancer patients now endure. Cancer patients receiving treatment will be given permits to display on their windscreen and parking attendants will ensure that only cars with permits pass through the boom gate, the hospital’s acting general manager, David Beard, told The Advertiser in a statement. Read More>

The Federal Government’s plain packaging laws for cigarettes have now passed both houses of Parliament but are facing their first legal challenge. The Senate agreed to the legislation earlier this month but made a number of amendments, including to the start date, and sent the legislation back to the Lower House. The House of Representatives today voted to support the changes which means  cigarettes will have to be sold in generic dark green packets from December next year, six months later than the original time frame. Read More>

Details for a $28 million boost to the Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS) were announced by the Minister for Health and Minister for Medical Research, Jillian Skinner yesterday. Patients who need to travel long distances for treatment will receive a massive 30 per cent boost in their accommodation subsidies and a 25 per cent boost in petrol subsidies. This is the first time the accommodation subsidy has gone up in 11 years. Read More>

MEDIA RELEASE: $28 million for country patients

Sydney University is the latest in a growing number of universities to cut smoking on its campuses. It recently released a draft ”smoke-free environments policy” to extend existing bans to 10m from buildings, prohibit smoking in outdoor and drinking areas and to phase out the sale of cigarettes on campus. Read More>

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Take Action Now! Have your say about smoke-free outdoor areas