In June of 2010 the Manitoba legislature passed legislation providing for some degree of regulation of the tanning industry. This was an important step as there has been no regulation of the indoor tanning industry despite the known cancer-causing effects of indoor tanning equipment.
But the Manitoba Division of the Canadian Cancer Society believes the requirement of parental consent for minors using indoor tanning equipment and the posting of warnings about the dangers of indoor tanning provides only a “good first step” in protecting the public from a known cause of cancer.
Given the startling facts and the science that links the use of indoor tanning equipment with an increased risk of developing melanoma skin cancer, the Society does not believe Manitoba’s current legislative framework goes far enough to protect Manitobans, and particularly minors, from the dangers of indoor tanning.
The Canadian Cancer Society believes that, just as minors are banned from the sale of tobacco products, so too should minors be excluded from using indoor tanning equipment. The Society continues to work with the government urging it to follow other jurisdictions as soon as possible and implement a ban on indoor tanning for minors.