Media Releases

A British Medical Journal (BMJ) report about sunbed usage released Tuesday misrepresented data and does not apply to the Canadian indoor tanning market. The report used sunbed usage data collected in the 1970s before professional tanning salons even existed in North America and reached misleading conclusions that did not disclose the use of home sunbeds nor dermatologists’ phototherapy treatments.

Further, the report’s conclusions about skin cancer prevalence over-stated that number by 75 percent, according to data published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI). Specific problems with the BMJ study: 1. The BMJ study overestimated indoor tanners in the U.S. by 239% according to the CDC report on indoor tanners, report dated May 11, 2012. 2. The BMJ study over stated the numbers of estimated skin cancers by approximately 75% in the US according to the NCI statistic. 3. The study authors admit, “Another potential limitation of this meta-analysis is the broad time period spanned by the data. Included studies collected data from the 1970s to the 2010s.” 4. This paper – like many that preceded it – did not publish that unmonitored home unit usage made up much of its data set. This study also does not apply to professional Canadian salons, as the International Smart Tan Network pointed out in its statement issued earlier today about North American salons. “This data – properly analyzed – actually supports what the professional Canadian tanning market has been pushing for: intelligent regulation to ensure that sunbed usage is a controlled experience for Canadians,” Joint Canadian Tanning Association Executive Director Steve Gilroy said. “It’s home units and unmonitored usage that is the issue.” The JCTA (Joint Canadian Tanning Association) is a national non-profit organization created to increase understanding of the professional tanning industry’s scientifically supported position that regular moderate ultra-violet exposure from sunshine or sunbed in a non-burning fashion is part of a responsible lifestyle that recognizes both the inherent benefits and the manageable risks associated with ultraviolet light exposure. Contact:| Steve Gilroy 1-800-915-0367 ext. 1 M: 250-863-8765 E: info@TanCanada.org