The Australian government has banned under 18s from plastic surgery and solariums in the Queensland territory of the country. The Sunshine State, and no I’m not talking about California or Florida, is the first to in Australia to employ the stringent law. Those who break the law are facing some hefty repercussions: $150,000 fine and the possibility of 2 years in prison.
The government has said the purpose of the ban is to protect minors from surgery they may regret when they are older; the state doesn’t feel youngsters should be undergoing cosmetic enhancements quite yet. The Health Minister Stephen Robertson said,
"The ban applies to purely cosmetic procedures, decisions on which teenagers are not mature enough to make for themselves and may come to regret as adults"
Similarly, the health minister banned the use of solariums due to the astronomical rates of skin cancer in Queensland. Though the amendments seem stiff, the Health Minister and the Queensland government had the support from higher authorities around the country.
