TORONTO – A new proposal from Health Canada would require tanning beds to carry warning labels similar to cigarettes and other tobacco products.
Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq revealed Monday that the federal government will soon require tanning beds carry warnings about the potential health dangers posed by ultraviolet radiation – chiefly skin cancer.
The newly-proposed label reads “Danger: tanning equipment can cause cancer” in large font. It also includes a list of other possible health risks such as burnt skin, premature aging, and the need for protective eyewear.
The move is the latest response to growing concerns, both in Canada and around the world, about the potential health hazards of indoor tanning.
In 2009, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) moved UV tanning beds into its highest cancer risk category.
The move was based on internal research showing a 75 per cent increase in the risk of developing melanoma (a dangerous form of skin cancer) in people who used tanning beds before age 30.
Despite the multitude of countries who have instituted tanning bed laws in the past few years, there’s little uniformity when it comes to how the beds are regulated country to country.
Even in Canada, the regulations governing tanning beds vary not just province to province, but city to city – Mississauga, Peel Region, and Oakville all instituted city bylaws last fall banning the use of tanning beds for anyone under 18 years old.
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Whether you’re looking to even out your base tan, or would like to get as far away from tanning salons as possible, Global News has compiled a list of the most extreme tanning bed laws from across the globe – as well as right here in Canada.
Brazil
If you’re looking to get your tan on then Brazil, with its many lavish beaches, is undoubtedly one of the best destinations – unless you’re looking to tan indoors, that is.
That’s because the South American nation banned the use, operation, and sale of all tanning beds shortly after the WHO released their findings in 2009.
Failure to comply could lead to fines of between $2000 and $1.5 million, so you’re probably better off going “traditional” and sunning on the beach like everybody else.
New Zealand
New Zealand is another country with no laws governing tanning beds.
Instead, tanning salons in New Zealand operate on a voluntary standard which includes proper supervision of UV beds and age restrictions for those under 18.
A push to introduce government regulation of tanning salons is gaining momentum. In a poll conducted by the Sunday Star-Times newspaper in Auckland last year, 70 per cent of respondents favored a national ban on tanning beds.
And according to the New Zealand Cancer Society, Kiwis have some of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world.
Australia
If that long cold winter’s got you looking a bit pale, you may not want to check out tanning salons in the land down under.
In 2010, Australia moved to ban tanning beds for those under 18 years of age – as well as those with Type 1 (or extremely fair) skin types.
And it doesn’t stop there. New South Wales, the nation’s most populous province, has moved to ban all tanning beds in the next three years, and it’s likely the rest of the nation will soon follow suit.
Europe
Unlike the above nations, the appeal of tanning beds is stronger in Europe, where hot days and sun-soaked beaches aren’t exactly a daily occurrence.
Still, there has been a strong push to ban tanning beds for young people across the EU, and in the United Kingdom.
At this time France, Finland, Spain, Norway, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Iceland, Germany and the U.K. have all instituted a ban on tanning beds for those under 18 years of age.
The United States
As you might imagine, the laws and regulations surrounding tanning beds vary from state-to-state. Some states have taken a strong line against UV tanning beds.
In 2012, California became the first state in the union to ban tanning beds outright for those under 18 years of age.
On the other hand, Missouri has no state laws or regulations governing the use of tanning beds, with many salons catering to children 12 or younger according to a study published in the medical journal Pediatrics.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has its own guidelines for the sale and operation of UV tanning beds, however these are not enforceable unless the state chooses to introduce its own legislation.
Canada
In Canada, tanning bed laws vary from province to province. As mentioned above, three Ontario municipalities moved to ban tanning beds for those under 18 last year.
In Quebec and British Columbia, there is a province-wide ban for those under 18 years of age.
In Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, the cut-off age is 19.
In Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and PEI, tanning salon owners adhere to voluntary guidelines whereby informed consent mush show that the client is 18 years of age or older.
Manitoba requires parental consent for those under 18, while Alberta as well as the territories have no regulations over tanning beds at all.
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