Victorians will soon have to damage their skin and invite melanoma the traditional way, with the State Government introducing legislation to ban the solarium.

The ban will go some of the way to reducing the 11,000 new cases of melanoma each year.

With solid evidence now that solaria increase the chance of skin cancer it is logical that a government would legislate to protect its people - even if it is from their own misguided need to burn themselves.

The move has been welcomed by SunSmart and the Cancer Council Victoria.

Craig Sinclair, Director of the Prevention Division at Cancer Council Victoria said: “Today we remember Clare Oliver and how she boldly spent the last weeks of her life, campaigning for solariums to be banned. Clare's efforts has brought about tremendous change - this legislation is her great legacy that will protect many others from a similar tragic fate.”

Ms Oliver, referred to by Mr Sinclair, frequented a solarium in her early twenties. There is now a considerable body of evidence showing that solarium use is linked to skin cancer, as in the case of Ms Oliver. Last year 161 dermatologists, cancer specialists and clinicians wrote to the government demanding a ban.

Clare's Medical Oncologist, Professor Grant McArthur, of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, says “people who visit solariums need to understand there is nothing attractive about melanoma; it is one of the fastest moving cancers, bringing with it an uncertain future and, in some cases, like Clare's, premature death. The good news is that melanoma is one of the most preventable cancers and I implore young people to heed Clare's warnings.”

Mr Sinclair said: “Given that the solarium ban is not due to come into effect until the start of 2015, in 14 months' time, we want to remind Victorians that solariums are never safe... We also want to encourage operators to switch off solariums as soon as possible. The sooner solariums cease to operate in this state, the more lives will be saved.”

“We encourage the government to develop an action plan for the safe disposal of the 458 tanning beds that are currently operating at commercial tanning salons throughout the state. By providing a free disposal program for solaria, the government can ensure that when the ban takes effect, these dangerous machines won't be sold to the private market and end up in people's homes.”

Authorities estimate 281 cases of melanoma and 43 deaths are caused by tanning beds in Australia every year. Australia also has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, with over 2,000 killed annually by the almost entirely preventable disease.