Gyms urged to remove tanning beds by cancer patients and dermatologists

Cancer patients and dermatologists have come together to urge gyms and fitness centers to get rid of their tanning beds, reports AD. The notion that tanned skin is an indicator of good health is false, they said. Tanning damages skin cells at best, and causes cancer at worst.

"It is very contradictory that gyms offer tanning beds," said Jos de Groot of the Integral Cancer Center Netherlands (IKNL). He pointed out that gyms tout themselves as places to practice healthy lifestyles, but tanning beds are known to cause cancer.

Dermatologists have described skin cancer rates as an epidemic. In 2018, the Netherlands was ranked 5th on the list of highest rates of melanoma by the World Cancer Research Fund. Half of all cancer patients in this country have skin cancer.

The movement to outlaw tanning beds around the world is not new. France banned minors from using tanning beds in 1997. Brazil banned the use of tanning beds for cosmetic purposes in 2002. After nearly a decade of campaigning, Australia banned the use of all commercial tanning beds in 2015. 

There are currently 400 tanning salons operating in the Netherlands.