WINNIPEG – Manitoba could be next the next province to ban kids under 18-years-old from using tanning beds.
The province’s health minister opened the door to the move this week.
“We’ve been hearing from doctors and the Canadian Cancer Society and from families that they’d like to see us go a step further, so we’re certainly looking at that right now,” Health Minister Erin Selby said this week.
For now, Manitoba law says users under 18 need parental consent to use a tanning bed and those under 16 need parents to escort them.
Cortney Ireland was 16 years old when she started tanning with her parents’ permission.
“I would go four times a week in high school and I was pretty dark and looking back on it, seeing pictures, it’s not a good look,” said Ireland.
The Canadian Cancer Society released a report Wednesday warning that cases of melanoma, which is the deadliest form of skin cancer, are on the rise.
“What we’re expecting to see in Manitoba is about 6,500 new cases of cancer this year and about 2,700 Manitobans unfortunately are going to lose their lives to cancer,” said Erin Crawford of the Canadian Cancer Society.
Alberta and Saskatchewan are the only other provinces that haven’t banned youth from using tanning beds.
With 90 per cent of melanoma cases preventable, doctors urge tanners to be skin aware, lather on sunblock and stay out of tanning beds.
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