To the Editor,
The commitment by the B.C. government to introduce legislation restricting indoor tanning bed use to people over the age of 18 may raise the question: why the stick, as opposed to the carrot, when it comes to preventing skin cancer?
Research points to the fact that, despite years of public health education on the dangers of indoor tanning, 27 per cent of young women are still making it a habit.
Like many policies that protect youth from high-risk behaviours such as drinking and smoking, an underage indoor tanning ban makes sense from a public health perspective.
We know that indoor tanning is detrimental to our health, particularly for youth.
It significantly increases the risk of skin cancer; in fact, any use of indoor tanning equipment before the age of 35 increases a person’s risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, by 75 per cent.
Some may also wonder whether it should be up to parents to decide whether their child tans indoors. Parents are not permitted to buy their children alcohol or cigarettes and it is sensible to put the same restrictions on indoor tanning.
About half of all cancers are preventable. The Canadian Cancer Society invests in best practices which includes public education, community action and advocacy for healthy public policy.
Nancy Falconer
Canadian Cancer Society B.C. and Yukon