Neon Beach

Ontario health unit wants province to ban artificial tanning for under-18s12:05:06 EDT Jun 11, 2006LAUREN LA ROSE




TORONTO (CP) - A southern Ontario district health unit is seeking to pull the plug on teens under the age of 18 who want to use artificial tanning equipment, and has drafted a resolution urging the province to begin regulating the industry.

The document was drafted by the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, where melanoma has recently ranked among the top ten cancers for men and women in the region.

"Too many in our own area are starting to develop melanoma, so our goal is to reduce that number," said Angela Andrews, health promoter with the HKPR District Health unit.

"We thought that by putting forward this message to (the) provincial legislature to ban artificial tanning use for teens 18 years and under, we would be able to reduce the rate of skin cancer down the road."

The health unit, with offices in a number of southern Ontario communities, works in partnership with more than 170,000 area residents in advocating health promotion.

Some 1,200 area residents were surveyed from January to December 2004 on artificial tanning. The majority of respondents said they used the service between 2-5 times a year, and those surveyed between the ages of 18-24 were in the top percentage of users at 27.7 per cent.

Health Canada recommends against the use of artificial tanning equipment by anyone under 16, but only has jurisdiction over the manufacturers of the equipment.

The resolution, approved by the health unit's board of health, was delivered last week to Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman and Health Promotion Minister Jim Watson.

The move comes after similar recommendations by the World Health Organization in 2005 that those under the age of 18 should be prohibited from using artificial tanning equipment. The WHO estimates there will be 132,000 cases of malignant melanoma - the most dangerous form of skin cancer - worldwide each year.

An estimated 66,000 people around the world will die annually from malignant melanoma and other skin cancers, while in Canada, about 880 of 4,500 new cases of melanoma this year will result in death, Canadian Cancer Statistics estimates.

However, statistics from government agency Cancer Care Ontario found that while incidence rates of malignant melanoma increased among the elderly, they declined among the youngest age groups, including individuals aged 15-34.

The WHO has also acknowledged the difficulties in determining the long-term effects of artificial tanning.

"Sunbeds for self-tanning purposes have been available for the last two decades, and due to the long latency period for skin cancer and eye damage it has been difficult so far to demonstrate any long-term health effects," the organization wrote on its website.

Andrews said it's vital to make people understand that the perils of tanning aren't immediately apparent.

"People may go to an artificial tanning salon and may enjoy the effects of the tan, but . . . they're not seeing the effects of skin damage until 10 years down the road."

However, the president of Fabutan Sun Tan Studios, Canada's largest indoor tanning company, said a blanket ban on artificial tanning use by those under 18 would be "too extreme."

"Fabutan would support a system of regulation that allowed parents to make these informed decisions about what happens to their children," Doug McNabb said in a phone interview from Calgary.

"We believe this is a decision for parents, no different than it is taking your child to a Little League game in the middle of a hot summer day."

McNabb said clients between the ages of 16 and 18 must have a parent attend the first session, where they have to a sign a parental consent form to allow their child to proceed.

"If they're 16 and under, parental accompaniment is a must," McNabb said. "We would terminate a franchise in the event that they were going to tan someone 16 (without it)."

He also said he believes it's wrong-headed simply to urge people to avoid getting a tan.

"The main message should be we should teach Canadians that they shouldn't sunburn," McNabb said.
"We're missing the boat here when we simply say things like, 'There's no such thing as a safe tan."'

Sherin

So, it would seem even with all of the recent education, information and research coming from Canada, there are some in government who still don't get it?

~shaking head~

__________________
War does not determine who is right, war determines who is left.

Neon Beach

Of course. Me thinks they all need to mind their own business and worry about water and air quality, HIV, and the like. Maybe even inspect a few restaurant kitchens.

Nigelappler

BAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! ::pulls hair out::

Shantilly

The WHO has also acknowledged the difficulties in determining the long-term effects of artificial tanning.


at least its not all negative!

Neon Beach

Gotta quote you can post for us?