Under-18 tan ban proposed

Updated video NDP MPP France Gelinas has introduced legislation to ban the use of tanning beds for anyone under the age of 18.

Several experts from the Canadian Cancer Society are at Queen’s Park to support the bill. Among them – Kate Neale. She’s 22 and for the past nine months or so she’s been dealing with melanoma; and she’s certain it was caused by tanning beds.

Neale started tanning at 16, got a job at a tanning salon, and regularly used a tanning bed for years. She says it was an addiction. Then a month after she left her job last year, her mom found an irregular mole.

It turned out to be one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer. She’s had several moles removed and will have to monitor her damaged skin for the rest of her life. Neale is now speaking out against the industry.

“For two and a half years I encouraged tanning and I promoted tanning and I was really good at my job, I was top salesperson, I really believed in what I was doing. (The company) brought in scientists saying that tanning prevented cancer, a whole bunch of things so we were sent to seminars every six months or so in Toronto where they would just drill us with how safe tanning is so that if we ever had a customer come in we would know what to say.”

The cancer society recently did a survey that showed an increase in teens tanning; and there have also been marked increases in young people with skin cancer.

It’s promoting tanless proms, and the NDP bill that would ban tanning for teens under 18 as well as regulate the industry much the same way that alcohol and cigarettes are regulated, including advertising to young people.

Video: Lisa Hepfner reports: