Tanning Is Out (Canadian Cancer Society)

I find this video from the Canadian Cancer Society (from their Tanning Is Out campaign) actually quite funny. I know that there’s debates online on whether tanning beds increase skin cancer risks by repeated (and long-lasting) exposure but to be quite frank, I would not want to test the probabilities. My Grandmother had skin cancer and I am always keenly aware that I need to use sunscreen.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in Canada, and melanoma skin cancer – the most deadly form of skin cancer – is one of the most common forms of cancer for people between the ages of 15 and 29. The good news is it’s also the most preventable. Over-exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from both the sun and indoor tanning equipment is the major cause of skin cancer. Using indoor tanning equipment before the age of 35 has been found to increase the risk of melanoma by 75 per cent.1 And, the UVR emissions of indoor tanning equipment can be up to 5 times the intensity of the mid-day sun. In BC, in 2010, the Canadian Cancer Society estimated that there were 790 new cases of melanoma – and 130 deaths. Despite 10 years of ‘sun safety’ messages, Canadians’ sun protective behaviours have not changed. Telling people to seek shade, wear sun protective clothing, apply sunscreen, and avoid tanning salons has not worked. 27% of young women (ages 16-24) use tanning equipment.4 Students tell us that they are aware of the dangers of tanning, yet they still do it.

What I found interesting about the campaign (beyond the request for the BC government to introduce legislation to prevent youth younger than 18 years old to use tanning beds) is the press junket approach they did. Not only is the video funny, but also they had an event at the beach:

Burnie and Scarlett Burnadette, two sun burnt personalities, strolled Kitsilano beach with visibly painful sunburns. They were joined by the Canadian Cancer Society’s Tanning is Out Ambassadors, who busted the myth that having a tan is ‘healthy’ and reminded beachgoers to seek shade and cover up.

I support cancer-focused charities and enjoy campaigns that are creative and innovative. This one is an example.