Media Releases

Calgary – March 28, 2012 – The Association representing professional tanning salons across Alberta has called for a calm and balanced discussion over the safety of indoor sunbathing.

The Joint Canadian Tanning Association (JCTA) has been calling for provincial standards to formalize voluntary industry practices already in place in professional salons, including:

-advocating for parental consent;

-mandatory protective eyewear;

-skin typing every client correctly;

-operator training and certification;

-equipment controlled by certified operators

-banning customers that are Skin Type 1 (always burn, never tan)

– ban self-serve tanning equipment

“There is no one more concerned with professional standards than our members,” said Steve Gilroy, executive director of the JCTA, reacting to a website (thebigburn.ca) launched by Alberta Health Services that talks about tanning equipment and NOT professional salons.

It is our position that all equipment that emits UV light should be regulated including the highest risk equipment, according to the World Health Organization, those used by dermatologists for treating cosmetic skin conditions like psoriasis.

Gilroy noted the Alberta government is now conducting what it has promised will be a “non-emotional” assessment of the risks and benefits of tanning salons through an expert panel.

Our members are disappointed that this type of campaign has been launched prior to the report being released.

“There is a lot of medical information on indoor tanning, and our strongly held contention is that if the measures we are advocating are applied, the risk factor is reduced significantly,” he said.

The JCTA is encouraging provincial government jurisdictions to consider parental rights when considering the issue of indoor-tanning by persons under age 18. Just as they allow parents to make the same decision every time they take their teens on a sunny vacation.

Gilroy noted efforts to meet with Alberta Health Services have been rebuffed.

-30-

Media contact:

Steven Gilroy, JCTA Executive Director

250-863-8765or 1.800.915.0367 Ext 1

Surveys have shown that when the public is given an option of parental involvement vs. a ban on teen UV tanning, the majority chose parental consent.