Should we outlaw tanning beds for teens?

Don’t think Ottawa is doing enough to protect Canadian teens from UVR exposure in tanning beds? Let your MP know that you don’t think voluntary guidelines go far enough to protect the health and well-being of our youth. Cut and paste this form letter into an e-mail or print it off and mail it (no postage is required for mailing to an MP on Parliament Hill). Find out who your MP is, and get their e-mail address, here. Plus, tell us what you think in the comments.

Your name
Address

Date

Name of your MP
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Dear (MP’s name):

The younger someone gets a first suntan or burn, the greater the risk of developing skin cancer later in life.

Ultraviolet radiation’whether from the sun or tanning lamps’damages the skin’s DNA, which can cause genetic mutations that might lead to skin cancer. The deadliest form, melanoma, is the second most common cancer among Canadians age 15 to 34.

A survey by the Canadian Cancer Society found that 27 percent of females and eight percent of males age 16 to 24 used tanning equipment in 2006. Using tanning beds before age 35 can increase a person’s risk of melanoma by an incredible 75 percent.

We don’t let minors drink or smoke legally. Why are we allowing them to damage their health in tanning salons?

I am writing to call on Ottawa to take a strong, decisive stance on protecting the health and well-being of Canadian youth and to enact legislation that will ban under-18s from using tanning beds.

Sincerely,
Your name