Commercial tanning: Provincial and territorial regulation of advertising and marketing of artificial tanning

February 1, 2019

Learn how provincial and territorial governments can restrict advertising and marketing of artificial tanning

Inside this UVR policy pack

• UVR policy pack: background evidence
• Evidence-informed UVR policy actions
• Key statistics: Exposure to solar and artificial UVR in Canada
• Public perceptions of the issue of exposure to UVR and cancer
• Economic evidence to support UVR policy
• Indicators to measure progress on UVR policy

Advertising and marketing of tanning services

Issue

Restrict or ban use of commercial tanning units¹

Action

Restrict advertising and marketing including false, misleading and/or deceptive claims about artificial tanning¹

Degree of policy adoption*

LOW

Current action(s) in Canada

The adoption of evidence-informed policies restricting advertising and marketing of tanning services that includes false, misleading and/or deceptive claims about artificial tanning is low. Only New Brunswick, Québec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan prohibit this type of advertising.

In addition, advertising of tanning services that is directed at minors is prohibited in New Brunswick, Québec, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta, and Québec requires that all advertisements for tanning services include information about the ban to minors as well as health warnings within.

* Levels of adoption:  Low = very few jurisdictions have adopted evidence-informed policy action; Medium = some, but not all jurisdictions have adopted evidence-informed policy action; High = most jurisdictions have adopted evidence-informed policy action.

References

¹ Boniol M et al. (2012) Cutaneous melanoma attributable to sunbed use: systematic review and meta-analysis BMJ, 345: e4757. doi: 10.1136/bmj.e4757.