The Saskatchewan government recently announced a ban on tanning beds for minors, which will take effect this fall. We’re the last province in the country to enact such a ban.
About time.
Tanning beds are in no way healthy. This is just a fact. They were recently moved up to being classified as a Group 1 carcinogen (meaning it definitely causes cancer) by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer. This means that they’re on the list with asbestos, formaldehyde, mustard gas, diesel exhaust, and arsenic. I firmly believe that it will be one of those things where thirty years in the future people will say, “Wow, they actually did lay on beds to allow cancer-causing rays to beam down on their exposed skin.” Kind of like when we watch Mad Men these days and see people smoking around children.
It’s estimated that a quarter of Canadian teens tan. It is also estimated that those who use tanning beds while under the age of 35 increase their risk of melanoma by 75 per cent. Melanoma, in case you didn’t know, can kill you. It’s the deadliest form of skin cancer and the most common type of cancer in younger people.
Tanning beds don’t just increase your risk of cancer. They also cause premature aging (your skin loses its elasticity and develops wrinkles) and DNA damage.
Think about that: using tanning beds (which emit ultraviolet radiation five times stronger than the midday summer sun) can literally damage who you are.
But wait, you might say. Tanning has some benefits, right? You get vitamin D from the sun! That depends: if the tanning bulb uses ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, then yes, you’ll get some vitamin D. However, there are ways to get vitamin D without developing melanoma. The Canadian Cancer Society says a few minutes of unprotected exposure to the sun is all some people need, though that depends on skin colour, age, diet, and more. You can also get it through your diet: fish, liver, and egg yolk all have vitamin D, while other foods (including cow’s milk) have it added. You can also take supplements.
Other people establish a baseline tan so they don’t burn on their tropical vacations. You could, I don’t know, wear sunblock? Also, the Canadian Dermatology Association said that having a tan before you go somewhere is the equivalent to sunblock with an SPF of 2-4 at best. Is it worth it?
So, tanning beds aren’t great. However, adults can make their own decisions about their lives. They have the cognitive capability to look at the facts and make an informed decision. Studies show that brains develop through until early adulthood, and because of this, teens tend to make decisions based on impulse and engage in risky behaviour. Teenagers have the most to lose by using tanning beds, but have the worst ability to make an informed decision.
There have been some half-hearted attempts to regulate tanning beds – Health Canada posts voluntary guidelines that recommend restricting tanning to children under 15. Fabutan requires teenagers under 15 to be accompanied by an adult and for those 16-17 years old to bring written permission from their parents, though Fabutan president, Doug McNabb, told Best Health Magazine in 2009 that they hadn’t seen a drop in teen tanners.
Tanning is a horrible health risk for minors that should be taken more seriously. It causes cancer and has no benefits beyond the aesthetic. France managed to ban tanning beds to minors in 1997, and it’s a good thing we’re finally catching up.
