You wonder why we need the government's help to crackdown on false claims made by Sunbed operators?

Tan Factory outside Dr. Polevoy's office - London

520 Sarnia Rd. - London, Ontario
Next to Dr. Polevoy's Acne Clinic
Building owned by Shoppers Drug Mart

Tan Factory - London, Ontario - Dundas St.

1925 Dundas St. E. - London, Ontario

Wonderland and Southdale Rd.

Kokomo's London where they specialize in Grade 8 proms

Kokomo's is where they just love to offer tans to Grade 8 students

Artificial Tanning Symposium - London, Ontario - April 5, 2005

World leaders in research, public health policy, prevention and treatment presented the most current research on the health effects of artificial tanning. The prevailing approach of the rapidly growing and increasingly organized artificial tanning industry is to claim artificial UV is a safe way to tan which may offer a number of health benefits as well, including Vitamin-D and relief from Seasonal Affective Disorder.

These myths create a culture of misinformation and confusion among consumers that leads to risky decision-making. One of the main purposes of the symposium is to debunk these harmful myths with credible research.

Artificial Tanning Resource Kit - Ontario Sun Safety Work Group - .doc file
This toolkit has been developed in response to recommendations identified at the April 2005 “Artificial Tanning Symposium: Myths and Realities” held in London, Ontario. The event organized by the Skin Cancer Prevention Coalition- Elgin, Middlesex, and Oxford counties, brought together health professionals, educators, researchers and international experts to explore the negative health issues and identify current research and legislation related to artificial tanning equipment operation and use.
Click here to view program brochure
Presentations from Artificial Tanning Symposium - download the Adobe .pdf files for main presentations
Myth or Reality - Introduction to Symposium with some great of London area sunbed parlors.

Competition Bureau targets Fabutan for false claims -

OTTAWA, March 31, 2005 — The Competition Bureau announced today that it has filed an application for an order with the Competition Tribunal to stop Calgary-based Fabutan Sun Tan Studios and its president Douglas McNabb from making false representations to the public that there are health benefits associated with indoor tanning, such as a reduced risk of cancer.

Search Google News for WHO sunbeds - On March 17, 2005 the World Health Organization (WHO)highlighted that sunbed use poses a risk of skin cancer, and that no person under 18 years of age should use a sunbed. Unfortunately the use of sunbeds is already regulated in France and Sweden.

CTV's coverage of the WHO announcement - Watch four videos of recent coverage. CTV had previously gone undercover and exposed rampant problems in tanning salons.

Dermatologists call for tanning bed ban
The American Academy of Dermatology Association (AADA) opposes indoor tanning and supports a ban on the production and sale of indoor tanning equipment for non-medical purposes. The hazards of indoor tanning have been well documented from experimental sources as well as from epidemiologic studies and clinical observations.

Unless and until the FDA bans the sale and use of tanning equipment for non-medical purposes, the AADA supports the following requirements for indoor tanning facilities:

No minor should be permitted to use tanning devices.
A Surgeon General’s warning should be placed on all tanning devices.
The warning label required of manufacturers for all tanning devices should read, “Ultraviolet radiation can cause skin cancer and other nonreversible forms of damage to the skin.”
A warning sign listing instructions for correct use of the tanning device and potential hazards of incorrect use, which includes information regarding the recommended limits of weekly and yearly exposure dose and the recommended limit on the frequency of usage, should be conspicuously posted next to each tanning device.
A warning statement defining the potential hazards and consequences of exposure to Ultraviolet A radiation (UVA), which includes information regarding the recommended limits of weekly and yearly exposure dose and the limit on the frequency of usage, should be signed by each patron.
All tanning devices should be inspected regularly for defects by a local or state public health department; written reports should be kept for each inspection.
Tanning device operators should receive adequate training to correctly operate the tanning facility and tanning devices, recognize injury or overexposure to Ultraviolet radiation, determine skin type of patrons, and implement emergency procedures in case of injury.
Tanning device operators should be required to provide sanitary, protective eyewear to each patron for use during tanning.
Tanning device operators should limit exposure time to the exposure time recommended by the device manufacturer on the tanning device or in the device operating manual.
No person or facility should advertise the use of any Ultraviolet A or Ultraviolet B tanning device using wording such as “safe,” “safe tanning,” “no harmful rays,” “no adverse effect,” or similar wording or concepts.

Health Canada proposes sweeping changes in sunbed regulations
Reported by the CBC - March 18, 2004 My comments - These proposed regulations are totally useless. Health Canada doesn't have the guts or the manpower to do anything to stop the abuse by sunbed operators. A warning label on a sunbed is not going to stop teens from going, and it's certainly not going to stop the abuse by operators who have the older beds?

Google News for sun tanning

Hazards of sunbeds presentation: PowerPoint

Doctor fired up over sunbeds - July 6, 2002 - Kitchener-Waterloo - The Record

Tanning industry focus of London Free Press article

More Waterloo area sunbed articles from our archives

Tell us if your child has been victimized by sunbed operator

Have you allowed your child to be abused by or work for a sunbed operator?

Sun Magic - Kitchener, Ontario

On June 4, 2002 I learned that one of my 15 year old acne patients was working at the Sun Magic tanning emporium at the corner of Ottawa and Westmount in Kitchener. I could not believe my ears, and my eyes when I looked at her. She told me that the owners of the franchise had her cleaning the beds for clients, and she was also given a large supply of coupons for free visits to hand out to her friends at school.

Kokomo's - London, Ontario - May 2002

I would like to hear from anyone who brought their child to any suntan parlor in Canada. We have had recent experiences with 13 and 14 year old children who were signed up at a Kokomo's suntanning parlour in London, Ontario. At least one of the girls was on potent anti-acne medication and should never have been allowed to tan, even with parental permission. The city of London has done nothing to curb the child abuse that occurs when parents unwittingly take their kids to get ready for Grade 8 graduation, or for the prom. This particular company's web site criticizes efforts by the dermatology community to educate the public about the risks of artificial tanning. It is sinfully lacking in honesty, especially when it concerns the exposure of young children to UVB and UVA.

London-Middlesex Health Unit Safety Regulations & Guidelines are now history. Their recommendations for tanning salons provides no enforcement, reviews no training of facility staff, and stipulates no penalties for abuse. In other words, after numerous complaints, major articles in the local media, the Health Unit caves in to the sunbed industry. Who the hell is running the show there? What in the world are they afraid of?

Alert Alert Alert

Sunbeds can be deadly

From Mole to Melanoma: Skin Cancer Explained Web cast with David J. Leffell, MD of the Yale University School of Medicine and Arielle Kauvar, MD New York University School of Medicine

Sunbed abuse of children is out of control - Pediatrics - June 2002 Use of Sunscreen, Sunburning Rates, and Tanning Bed Use Among More Than 10 000 US Children and Adolescents Huge study done by researchers at Boston University that involved over 10,000 boys and girls age 12-18 from all 50 States. Nearly 10% of respondents used a tanning bed during the previous year. Girls were far more likely than boys to report tanning bed use (14.4 vs 2.4), and older girls (ages 15Ð18) were far more likely than younger girls (ages 12Ð14) to report tanning bed use (24.6% vs 4.7). Tanning bed use increased from 7% among 14-year-old girls to 16% by age 15, and more than doubled again by age 17 (35%; N = 244). Conclusion: Nationally coordinated campaigns with strong policy components must be developed and sustained to prevent skin cancer in a new generation of children and adolescents.

Tanning Devices May Contribute to Incidence of Common Skin Cancers Press release - Journal of the National Cancer Institute

New study shows risk of skin cancer more than double - Bred Evenson - National Post A new U.S. study suggests people who use tanning beds face an increased risk of developing two common types of skin cancer, basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma.

The Safety of Tanning Salons

Goodlife Fitness has a motto:


To belong where

caring individuals

are committed to

educating you to

develop a more

energetic lifestyle

increasing fitness,

longevity and fun.

Now how does the promotion of sunbeds in their clubs add to fitness, longevity, or fun? Did you know that artificial tanning more than doubles the risk of some common skin cancers? Do they care?

Good Life Fitness and others comment on sunbed use by 14 year olds

Doctor Says Tanning Salons Can Be Health Hazard

A doctor in southwestern Ontario wants tanning salons regulated more closely. Dr. Terry Polevoy is a pediatrician who runs skin care clinics in London and Kitchener. He wants to see age restrictions on who can use the facilities and better training for the staff.

The following day two folks rebutted Dr. Polevoy on the CBC.

On Tuesday, we heard from pediatrician Dr. Terry Polevoy. He'd like to see more regulation of tanning salons.

Dr. Polevoy would like to see people under 18 prohibited from using them. And he wants better training for staff.

We wanted to get reaction to his proposals from people in the business.

Michelle Colwell is the director of national member services for the Goodlife Fitness Club chain. Calla Leitch is the owner of the Tahiti Breezes Sun Salon in London.

They did agree that they would welcome regulation. The Good Life Fitness empire owns 55 "health" clubs in Canada.

They all have tanning beds. They say that they don't allow anyone under age 18 to tan. I wonder what it would take for a 16 year old to try? Calla Leitch says she has allowed 14 year old girls to tan before their graduation, but would consider self regulation to limit exposure to those under 18.

Both of them missed the boat on marketing of the units by industry sales people. Neither of them admitted that their beds have ever injured anyone. That is absolutely ridiculous. I assume that the Good Life Fitness Clubs would have to keep written records of injuries on file as part of their 200 page training manual would suggest.

A list of their clubs in Canada say that they all have sunbeds, but I don't see any guidelines posted on their web site. But, they do say that they provide a chiropractor or doctor/physiotherapist at some of them. What do these licensed health professionals say about tanning?

I'd like to ask their president about this notion that tanning under artificial lights at their centres contributes to fitness, energy, lifestyle or fun, but so far he has never responded personally to any communications about this issue.

David Patchell-Evans the head honcho at GLF did not feel it was necessary to take on this issue on the CBC. I guess he's too busy writing books and organizing the homecoming at UWO.

Are local owners responsible, or are they controlled by the tanning industry?

Sunbed promoters want you to think that they are good community members. They join the Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau, and sponsor fund raisers for cancer clinics. Yes, that's right, they sponsor fund raisers for CANCER CLINICS.

Why would an industry that helps to promote artificial tanning, a known link to the promotion of deadly forms of skin cancer, be part of a fund raiser for a new cancer clinic in Kitchener, Ontario?

Those of you who would like to see the other side of the tanning industry are encouraged to use this web site. It is dedicated to those members of our family and yours who have been touched by melanoma.

Terry Polevoy, M.D.

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