Victoria, B.C. and its neighbouring municipalities have become the third region in Canada to ban teenagers from using indoor tanning beds, after a bylaw was passed on Wednesday.

Under the bylaw, anyone under the age of 18 will be banned from using tanning facilities. Businesses will also be required to post warning signs about the health risks associated with tanning, follow stricter sanitary rules and enforce the use of protective eyewear.

The Canadian Cancer Society strongly supports the bylaw.

Spokesperson Tara Taggart cites a 2009 World Health Organization study that moved UV tanning beds to its highest cancer risk category, calling them "carcinogenic to humans."

"It's on the same level as tobacco," she said. "It's known to cause skin cancer."

Andy Orr, spokesperson for the Capital Regional District -- which includes Victoria and 12 adjoining communities on southern Vancouver Island -- said the regional council has faced backlash from business owners.

"The industry has lobbied hard against it," he told ctvbc.ca. "Most of the tanning salon operators have come out to say they are against it."

Owner of Always August, Melanie Neumann, told ctvbc.ca that she is against the age restriction and said that teenagers make up a very low percentage of their clientele. Currently, her salon requires parental consent for anyone under the age of 16 to tan.

"We think that parents should have the right to choose whether their kids want to pre-tan before a vacation or prom," she said.

However, Neumann says she supports the other aspects of the bylaw.

"We already have those warnings up and on a waiver form," she said. "Sanitation is really important as well -- especially in gyms and places that just have one or two beds -- those places need to get looked at a little bit closer."

Neumann suggested the bylaw include a rule to make clients wait at least 24 hours between tans.

"We recently had a gentleman who was tanning far too often," she said. "We talked to him about the risks but I think he just went to another salon."



The bylaw will now be forwarded to the Minister of Healthy Living and Sport for approval.