When tanning indoors or outdoors be Responsible. Everything in Moderation!

Governments need to ban self-serve UV Indoor Tanning

Kelowna, BC (PRWEB) April 23, 2013

The Joint Canadian Tanning Association (JCTA) calls on government to ban self-serve (coin-op, slide card, client controlled) tanning facilities. UV light emitting tanning equipment should only be controlled by a trained and industry certified operator who has the education required to properly protect clients, as is the case in JCTA member locations.

“Tanning needs to be controlled by someone that is knowledgeable in the administration of UV light; anything less risks sunburning and overexposing consumers. Unfortunately, the public focus on teen tanning has resulted in governments losing sight of the real threat – self-serve tanning and the absence of skin typing which takes place in JCTA member salons,” said Steven Gilroy, Executive Director of the JCTA.

Today, self-serve tanning franchises out of the US are now experiencing growth in Canada. There are already locations operating in Canada.

“We need the help of the government to stop this in its tracks. We cannot let Canada go down the same path as England – which is now dominated by self-serve tanning facilities putting consumers unnecessarily at risk,” said Gilroy. “Canadian salon owners want to be part of a professional industry – one which takes the protection of our customers seriously. The growth of self-serve tanning threatens this objective and represents a giant step backwards for our industry,” said Gilroy.

The JCTA is proud to have independently developed one of the world’s leading industry standards regimes as it relates to tanning. Central to these rules is the belief that only educated, trained operators should have control over UV tanning equipment, which if used incorrectly increases the risk of skin damage and sunburn.

The JCTA has no intention of diminishing its current standards regime and remains steadfast in opposing the deprofessionalization of the tanning sector.

“Canada is one of the world leaders in industry training and certification. The majority of UV tanning beds in this country are controlled by salon employees, not clients. That’s why, if you’re an adult looking to tan, I strongly encourage Canadians to make sure that there is a JCTA valid member sticker in the window. Without that, you may be unknowingly exposing yourself to avoidable and unnecessary risk,” said Doug McNabb, JCTA President.

Going forward, the JCTA will continue to advocate for a full ban on self-serve tanning as a part of any legislation that pertains to the indoor tanning industry. Moreover, the JCTA will continue to act in its client’s best interests by encouraging consumers to Tan Responsibly. Toward this end, the JCTA has created a new consumer website for Canadian to find the right salons to tan with.

According to a review of the World Health Organization’s own data on indoor tanning equipment, home units carry 7 times the risk of professionally run equipment when you include Skin Type 1(always burns, never tans) individuals. The JCTA consider self-serve and home units to be the same because of the lack of a trained and industry certified operator controlling the equipment.

“Looking at the data, it is clear that tanning equipment itself is not the problem – it’s the person controlling it. Without a trained employee at the helm, you welcome unsupervised, under-aged access to equipment that, if not professionally monitored, can lead to skin damage. Indeed, self-serve tanning seems designed for teenagers who want to get their tan without going through the recommended exposure schedule required to do it responsibly,” said Gilroy.

The JCTA’s position is that if nothing is done to ban these facilities, Canada will follow suit with England, which over the last 5 years has seen over half of its tanning facilities move to a self-serve model. To confront this challenge, the JCTA calls on provincial governments to follow the example of Peel Region in Ontario when instituting regulations and ban self-serve indoor tanning.

The JCTA also strongly recommends that a set of mandatory professional standards be developed which include: restrictions on teen access, mandatory protective eyewear, the skin typing of every client, operator training and industry certification, and the production of onsite client records.

About the Joint Canadian Tanning Association:

The Joint Canadian Tanning Association (JCTA) 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.