Alberta tanning bed bill set to be introduced this spring

EDMONTON – After years of study Alberta is to introduce legislation to regulate tanning beds as a way to protect young people from skin cancer.

A spokesman for Alberta Health says a bill is to be tabled sometime during the legislature’s spring sitting which begins Tuesday.

Steve Buick says details won’t be released until the bill is introduced, but he says it will focus on protecting people under 18 from the effects of artificial tanning.

READ MORE: Alberta still working on tanning bed bill that was to be introduced last year

Organizations such as the Canadian Cancer Society and the Centers For Disease Control in the U.S. have linked indoor tanning to skin cancers, including potentially deadly melanoma.

Alberta and Saskatchewan are the only two provinces that don’t regulate youth access to tanning equipment.

It is not clear if the government intends to pass the legislation this spring or hold it until it can gather public comment.

READ MORE: Alberta needs to ban tanning beds for teens to reduce skin cancer, minister says