Skip to main content

tanning bed.shock/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Saskatchewan is planning to ban young people under 18 from using indoor tanning beds in an effort to help protect youth from skin cancer.

Tanning beds release ultraviolet light to bronze the skin, but the practice is linked to developing skin cancer later in life.

Health Minister Dustin Duncan said Monday the move will help to decrease the risk of melanoma for young people.

"We'll obviously consult with the industry on this," he said. "We want to make sure that no operators are caught unintentionally with still providing the service with people they're not allowed to."

He said the province will look at regulations in other jurisdictions for guidance.

The Canadian Dermatology Association notes that the World Health Organization classifies tanning equipment as carcinogenic to humans – in the same category as tobacco, arsenic and plutonium.

Saskatchewan is the last province to restrict indoor tanning.

Alberta introduced legislation with a similar goal last week, proposing an age restriction to use indoor tanning beds as well as changes to advertising rules.

The proposed law would also prohibit self-service artificial tanning equipment in public places and tanning salons would be required to post warnings about the health dangers of indoor tanning.

Manitoba allows people under 18 to indoor tan if they have permission from a parent.

Duncan said the government considered that approach, but decided against it.

"They have found that it's overly bureaucratic to try and put in the parental consent," he said.

The Saskatchewan government plans to make the changes in time for summer.

Interact with The Globe